Hatsukoi
by FiDhysta
Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings. Last chapter updated. Real Life AU. RnR?
1. The Cruel Angel

**A/N: Greetings! Fi here. This is my my first installment in the Angel Beats! fandom. Angel Beats! will always have a place in my heart, it's still my favorite anime ever which makes me cry like a baby—no matter how many times I rewatch it. Oh, and forgive me for my English and grammar. English is not my native language, so please bear with me. So, on with the story!**

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 1: The Cruel Angel**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

Nakamura Yuri was looking around her class, already feeling bored even though it was only on the break after the second period. This was the third day after she was back to school. Beforehand, she was forced to be homeschooled for six months due to her health problem, and she was recently back to the boarding school this semester. But she wasn't really the serious-type student to begin with, so she often got bored easily during lessons.

The light footsteps followed by the sound of sliding door diverted Yuri's attention. She caught a glimpse of a long-haired girl right before she closed the door from the outside. She recognized the girl as the quiet, straight-faced classmate. But that was it, little was known about that girl.

"Looks like she did it again... Did you know?"

"Really?! How do you know?"

The suspicious chat perked Yuri's sensitive ears. She then realized she wasn't the only one looking at the girl just exited the class, and now they undoubtedly talking about her.

"I saw Kyousuke- _kun_ alone this morning. You know they usually stick together, right? I was curious and asked him, and he said that they broke up yesterday."

"Geez, even the kind Kyousuke- _kun_ as well... What's inside that cold heart of hers, really?"

Okay, that was enough to make Yuri wanted to join the conversation. _Finally something that can distract me from this boredom._

"Hey... By 'she', did you mean the girl who went out of the room just now? Who is she...?" she asked hesitantly.

The girls looked at her, seemingly not even a bit annoyed at Yuri's sudden interference. "Ah, right. Yuri is just back to school recently so maybe you don't know. Yeah, she's Angel ( _Tenshi_ ). The new elected student council president since about three months ago," one of them told her.

"Angel...?" Yuri repeated. Is she an incarnation of god or something? She immediately shook away that stupid thought.

"People call her that because of her looks and vibes. Her name is Tachibana Kanade," a girl explained.

"I kind of admire her, though. Despite the rumors, she has all the beauty, brains, and that mysterious aura. Too bad she's too cold it intimidates me," other girl added sheepishly.

Here was the button to start the particular topic. "What kind of rumors, exactly?" Yuri asked curiously.

One of the girls leaned closer and now spoke in a whisper, "Angel is known as the notorious heartbreaker. She keeps changing partners, but the relationships never last long enough. She always breaks up with them and gets a new one shortly after."

Yuri's eyes widen, she never thought such a seemingly said perfect girl was really a player. She couldn't help but thought it was really an interesting matter.

"Oh, is that so? I didn't go in the same class as her last year, so I didn't know her at all. Looks like I missed a lot of things happened here during my absence, right? What a shame," she laughed awkwardly.

"You sure did. But that's all about her, I think. Aside from the bad rumors, she is really a good student. Always gets good grades, manages time between studying and doing her job as student council president, obeys school's regulations... She's almost the nerd type. Not to mention her cold and stoic demeanor makes people want to keep a good distance from her."

"Wait, do you mean she doesn't have many friends...?"

The girls thought for a second, then one of them answered, "well... You can say that. I think the only people I've seen being around her were the student council members, or the guy she's in relationship with—when they're still dating, of course."

Yuri couldn't help but felt a little bad for her. A cruel Angel aside, she was still a normal teenage girl. It must be lonely when you have no friends to hang out with. Satisfied with the informations, Yuri excused herself from the girls and headed to the restroom.

.

 _ **Study Block B Second**_ _ **Floor, Corridor**_

 _Angel, huh... A suitable nickname for someone as perfect as what people said about her. But a lonely angel with no friends...? That's too sad, with such a profile she could have many friends. Ah, wait... But she's a player and she broke the hearts of countless guys into pieces like they are nothing. That surely is the reason why. Hmm, maybe serves her right..._

Yuri walked slowly, her gaze glued to the floor that she didn't see someone was walking in her direction. It was after she lifted her head when she noticed a guy was about to pass her. He looked like he just recognized her that moment, as well.

She knew that guy. Natsume Kyousuke, her classmate in first grade before she took her absence.

"You... Natsume- _kun_ , right? Long time no see," she greeted him.

The slightest of glum in his eyes was soon replaced by a friendly smile. "Ah, Nakamura. I see you're back to school, did you get better?" he greeted back.

She ignored the ghost of sadness in his face she thought was present a second ago and replied cheerfully. "Yeah, I feel amazing! Still easily get bored in class though," she joked.

The guy chuckled. "Well, I'm glad. Take care, I'm going back to my class," he waved.

"Yeah, see you around," she waved back, and he walked pass her. Just then she remembered that previous talk the girls in her class was having. She spun her head, to see that he already disappeared around the corner.

 _Wait... He's the one the girls talked about recently. So... Angel broke up with him? Now that slight sadness on his face makes sense... That Cruel Angel! Who does she think she is to play with the hearts of her victims? Having a pretty face doesn't mean she has the right to make fun of others, for Heaven's sake!_

She continued to grumble silently until she reached the female restroom, but then something caught her attention before she was able to push the door open. At the far corner of the corridor was the very girl she's been silently cursing in her mind. She could simply ignore her and went inside the restroom, but she could tell that something wasn't right.

Veiled by the shadows of the corner, the girl stood still, her head hung slightly. Slowly, her hands gripped the hem of her skirt, and Yuri could swear she saw her shoulders trembled a little. And when she looked at her pale face, what were not fully covered by her silver bangs were a pair of downcast golden eyes.

With one last look at the frail girl, Yuri pushed the door open and stepped inside to find that the toilet was empty. But instead of entering one of the stalls, she leaned her back onto the door, a pang of guilt entered her heart when the sad figure engraved in her mind.

.

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

When Yuri got back to her class, Angel hadn't returned yet. She only got back shortly after the bell rang, her face back to the usual emotionless one. Soon after that, the teacher entered the class and started the lesson.

Yuri rested her chin on her palm, not really listening to her teacher. Instead, she continuously took glances at the student council president seated on the desk two rows ahead, one row to the right from her. Her face straight, listening to the lesson seriously. There was no trace of the gloomy expression she saw earlier, as if she was only seeing things that time.

But she knew she wasn't, and now she was even more curious about this mysterious girl. She knitted her eyebrows.

 _I really want to know what's inside her mind. I got a feeling that something isn't right with her._

.

.

When class was over and the teacher had left, the room was immediately filled with chatters of the students. They began packing up their things.

"Thank God it's finally over! Now I can relax a bit and refresh at the cheers club."

"Oh, yeah, Yuri! You haven't joined any club yet, have you? Do you mind visiting the karate club's practice? We have an open recruitment for new members now, you could join us if you like. You're really good at sports, aren't you?"

Yuri paused tossing her things into her bag and turned to the girl asking her. She thought for a moment, looking at the ceiling with a finger on her chin.

"Hmmm... Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline. I think I have decided what club I want to join," she smiled at the girl.

"Oh, it's fine, really. What club is it, anyway?" the girl asked.

She winked and answered simply, "I'm going to assign at the student council."

Her friends gaped at her, not believing what they just heard.

"Student council? But it's not even a club activity, right? They're always loaded with tons of works—besides, there are many other fun clubs you could join," she commented, but Yuri just waved her hand lightly.

"I know, I know, but I've decided and I think it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Maybe I can be a good student for once, don't you think?" she chuckled. She grabbed her bag then walked outside. "See you guys tomorrow!"

.

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

The stoic student council president stared blankly at the girl in front of her, while the latter just grinned innocently, handing her application form.

"Nakamura Yuri, class 2-B. I would like to be a member of the student council. We're happened to be in the same class by the way, Pres. Did you notice?" she introduced herself casually.

The long-haired girl nodded, then silently examined her application form.

Yuri was a little surprised that the quiet girl recognized her as her classmate, although she had been only in the class for days.

 _Maybe she is the type who silently observes people around her without getting in touch with them. As a student council president it's convenient to know a lot of students, but without being friends... Hmm, she really is an unusual one._

Being nosy was truly Yuri's nature, but she knew there was something different with this girl that was enough to push her into joining this committee so she could get to know her better. She didn't know why, but she almost felt that this girl needed her help in a way or another.

Her thoughts were cut by soft, monotone voice of the said girl.

"Very well. Your application is approved. Welcome to the student council. My name is Tachibana Kanade, the student council president. There are other members that will be introduced later. Nice to meet you," her voice was lacking any emotion, but when Yuri met her gaze, the glint of sincerity told her that she was grateful at her new member.

So Yuri gave her another cheerful grin. "Right, thanks! I'll do my best!"

 _Step one, check. Still a long way to go, but at least I'm on the right track now. Yosh!_

.

.

 **To be Continued**

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I put Natsume Kyousuke from Little Busters as a cameo here. I like him XD. Please leave a review! Thanks and see you guys later. XD**


	2. The True Nature of Angel

**Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 2: The True Nature of Angel**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

Yuri straightened the last stack of papers on the desk, binding them with a stapler.

"Here you go, Pres. Is this all?" she passed the stack of papers to the silver-haired girl who then nodded and accepted the papers.

"Well then, I'm off to the teacher's room for a moment. Please take care of everything," she calmly said and exited the room. Yuri waited until the door was fully closed, then stretched her arms, sighing as she relaxed.

A chuckle came from the seat across her. "It's only been a week since you joined here, but looks like you're worn out already. Are you still thinking that you can go with the flow?"

That mockery tone might be considered rude to other people, but Yuri was used to his style. She knew that he always used that way of speaking with people close enough to him. Naoi Ayato, the student council vice-president from class 2-A, never meant bad intentions with his words. In fact, he's really fun and Yuri had grown quite close to him during the week.

"Well, what do you expect from a rebellious girl like me? Doing this kind of thing isn't really my style, honestly," she played along with his mockery, smirking.

"Rebellious? Then you shouldn't apply here in the first place. This is the suitable place for the serious, obedient type like the president," he raised a brow at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I know, I was joking, duh," she combed her shoulder-length purple hair with her fingers, "my grades are good enough to make me deserve my position here, and I'm actually quite enjoying my job," she paused, "...but she's really not the usual type, huh? The president, I mean. Don't you think she's too obedient as a student? A normal teenager would want to rebel sometimes," she nodded towards the door.

Naoi crossed his arms as he leaned back on his seat. "Well... I have to agree with you about that, she's completely the model student type. But don't forget the fact that she _is_ , indeed, unusual. I might say that she's extraordinary."

Yuri leaned forward, the topic picked her interest.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't know? Tachibana- _san_ was an acceleration student. She managed to finish her junior high course in just a year, so basically she's two years younger than us."

Yuri's eyes widened, totally surprised with the new information. "Whaaat?! Really? How did she do that?!" she exclaimed, standing up from her chair.

Naoi had to cover his ears so his eardrums wouldn't explode by her outburst. "I don't know the details myself. All I know is that right after she finished elementary school, she took the acceleration program abroad and managed to graduate in one year, then she came back to Japan and enrolled to this boarding school," he explained.

She gaped, then suddenly a question popped up in her brain. "W-wait! But how come the youngest student became the student council president? Weren't there other candidates more reliable than her?"

He frowned, recalling the election months ago. "Hmm.. There were other candidates. But I think no one could compare to her profiles, though. Perfect grades, obedient, teacher's favorite... Not to mention she also has that authority aura. And she has been doing great maintaining her job and responsibility. She did surpass other candidates in all aspects in spite of her age."

Yuri thought for a moment, then asked in a more quiet voice, "but... Don't you think with all the rumo—"

She was cut off when the door opened and the other members walked in. Angel soon followed, carrying a folder in her arms.

"Everyone is gathered here. Well, let us begin the meeting for the upcoming cultural festival," she started, sitting down on her chair then opened the folder she's been carrying.

"I talked to the teachers, and they gave us some propositions regarding the class activities. They are—"

Yuri tried to push the unfinished talk with Naoi to the back of her mind and focused on Angel's speech. She was a student council member now, at least she had to pay attention to the meeting.

 _I think that matter has to wait for a while. I'd be screwed if I, the student council vice-secretary, let my focus divides now and mess with the meeting report._

.

 _ **Girls' Dorm, Yuri's Room**_

"Fuaaah! What a nice hot shower! All my tensed muscles are relaxed now," Yuri threw her body onto the bed and sighed happily. A good shower always made her feel better after a long and tiring day at school. She had been feeling more tired lately, especially after she joined the student council and appointed as the new vice-secretary. But surprisingly she kind of enjoyed her busy days, basically because it had been a while since the last time she did lots of works at school.

She grabbed her phone from her nightstand to check for some new messages, and soon her face brightened as she opened one of her chat groups.

"What, what? There will be a homecoming party for Senjou Junior High alumni? I MUST come!" she raised from her lying position, now sitting on the bed and typed furiously on her phone, joining the conversation on the chat group.

"It's been two years, huh... I wonder how are the guys doing right now..?" she pondered happily.

Her friends from middle school were the best and closest ever. They were like her own siblings, they had a lot of fun together during the years. Of course she missed them very much, since most of them went to different high schools which made it hard to gather and meet up with everyone. A reunion party was definitely the perfect chance.

"I can't wait!"

.

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

Yuri was about to get up from her seat and grab some lunch when somebody called her.

"Yurippe! You heard about the homecoming notice, right?"

She beamed at the nickname. The nickname used by her best friends from middle school, that she thought as a stupid nickname in the beginning—but now it became so nostalgic and dear to her.

"Sure I did. You will come, right, Ooyama- _kun_?"

Among her old buddies, Ooyama was one of the few who went to this high school with her—the other one was Hinata Hideki in the next class.

"Of course! I've missed the others so much," he replied excitedly. Ooyama was the shortest boy among the guys, being just a bit taller than Yuri by an inch. He was also soft-hearted and a little bit shy, definitely not your popular-eye-catching boy. However, he was very kind and friendly, sometimes he could be quite reliable too—despite his timid and plain personality.

"Me too. Wanna go together tomorrow, Ooyama- _kun_? It's better to come as a group, don't you think?" she suggested.

He nodded happily. "Sure. I'll ask Hinata- _kun_ to come with us as well, then."

They were too engrossed in their chat that they were not aware of the petite girl approaching them. She stopped right beside Yuri then tapped on her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.

"Nakamura- _san_ , this is your flash drive that I borrowed yesterday. Thank you," she said flatly.

The taller girl stroked her own chest, where her poor heart was just about to leap out from its place.

"Oh, it's you, Pres. You shocked me," she took the small device from Angel's hand, "do we have another meeting this afternoon?"

She shook her head, her silky silver hair moved softly around her shoulders. "No. We're still waiting for the teachers to approve on our proposals. The reviews might come out by tomorrow," she answered.

"I see."

By then, Yuri just realized that Ooyama, who had not said a word since Angel came, had been staring at the girl. Angel seemed to notice him as well, but when their eyes met, Ooyama quickly turned away sheepishly. The puzzled girl just tilted her head, then turned back to Yuri.

"Well then, I should take my leave now," she excused herself, then turned around and walked out of the class gracefully.

"Right, where were we? Oh yeah, you'll ask Hinata- _kun_ to come with us," Yuri resumed their chat, however it seemed like the boy's attention was still focused on where Angel had left the room.

"Ooyama- _kun_..?" she called gently, and he snapped out of his trance.

"A-aah, right... That's right! Leave it to me to ask Hinata- _kun_ , Yurippe!" he laughed nervously, scratching his brown locks.

She raised an eyebrow at him, then sighed tiredly.

.

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

"Okay, this will do. Now on to the next proposal... Geez, the teachers sure know how to keep our hands full," the secretary took another proposal that had been corrected by the teachers, "Yuri, which one are you working on right now?"

The said girl looked up from her laptop and answered her senior, "the revision sponsorship proposal to Key Coffee. I'm just getting started, though."

Her senior nodded, then continued to work on her own laptop. She massaged her right temple, her frown clearly showed pain.

"Umm... Are you okay?" Yuri asked, a bit concerned.

"Mmm... I've felt worse. But this migraine is really annoying, though," she replied without looking up from her work, one hand kept massaging her throbbing temple.

"Then you should go back and rest in your dorm, then. It won't get better without some medicine and a good rest," Yuri suggested.

The secretary sighed. "I'd like to do that, if only this work isn't crying for my attention," she chuckled at her own joke.

"Let me take care of that. I'll do your part soon after I'm finished with my revision," Yuri proposed, causing the brown-haired girl to turn abruptly to her—and wincing as she soon regretted her sudden move—to see the earnest look on those green eyes of her assistant.

"Are you sure? You're not going to strain yourself and working overtime just to cover me, aren't you? I'd be burdened if you do that."

"Don't worry, it will be finished in a flash. All that I have to do is revising, it won't take so much time. Besides, I already have plans this afternoon, so I don't plan on spending my precious time working overtime," Yuri laughed, "you just go and get some rest," she finished her sentence with a wink.

The secretary smiled gratefully at her newbie yet dependable assistant. "Okay then, I should thank you for that. Just make sure you won't suddenly feel comfortable and stay here overnight!" she joked, packing up her things and walked out of the room.

When the footsteps sound faded away, a snicker was heard before Yuri could resume on her work, and she rolled her eyes at Naoi, the culprit.

"What is it? Are you gonna mock me again?"

Naoi glanced up at the girl. "No, no. I was just kinda surprised that you have that kind of soft side," he stated calmly while continued sorting the papers.

Her eyes twitched angrily, then she threw the first thing she could grab from the desk—which was happened to be a pen—and it hit Naoi right on his head.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying that I'm only a violent and harsh girl who isn't able to do anything nice sometimes?" she yelled, her fist ready to join her pen.

"Ouch, that hurt! Next time try to throw anything more valuable, like money or your phone. That way I could take a good care of it and it wouldn't come to waste," he rubbed his head where the pen hit him.

She snorted, throwing her face away from the vice-president. "Hmph! Whiny. And you call yourself a man?"

"There. You just proved it yourself, violent and harsh," he grumbled in a low voice.

"Did you say something?"

"Nope. There's a piece of dried seaweed stuck in between your teeth."

Embarrassed, Yuri covered her mouth with her hands, her face flushed like a ripe tomato. Soon, her fist literally made its way to the boy's head.

"Ououououch~~ Why you little..." Naoi curled up on his seat, rubbing his swollen head furiously.

The annoyed girl ignored him and got back to her laptop. She checked on her watch, there was still some time before the appointed time to meet Ooyama and Hinata.

" _Yosh_! Let's get this down quickly and go to the reunion!"

.

.

Yuri saved her work, then stretched out her arms. "Uuunngh, finally done. Now I just have to double-check all the revision for some errors, then I can go to Ooyama- _kun_. His club must have been finished by this time," she scrolled up to the first page of the project.

The other members had left, already finished with their respective tasks. Except the president, though, who had gone to the teacher's room for some time. It was Yuri's first time being alone in this room, the silence was almost deafening. Then one thing crossed her mind.

 _I'm used to be with people around me, but now I wonder... If Angel doesn't have any close friends, is she used to being alone? Does she even feel lonely? How does she feel being alone in this office, doing her paperwork all by herself, after all the members gone home?_

The thought almost made her heart ache with pity, but she quickly shrugged it off. She had some checking to take care of.

She hadn't even reached the second page when the office door opened, revealing a somewhat tired-faced Angel. A kind of expression rarely seen from the tough student council president.

"What happened, Pres? Have you finished talking with the teachers?"

The slight tiredness in her eyes vanished, replaced with the usual emotionless ones. She soon realized that they were the only ones remained in the office.

"Has Hisako- _san_ left already?" she asked instead of answering the question.

Yuri nodded. "Yeah. The secretary had a migraine so she went back first. I've finished her task, anyway. So no need to worry."

Her lack of response indicated that her explanation didn't satisfy the petite girl, so she asked again, "is something wrong? Do you need her to do something?"

This time, she nodded. "The teachers have read all of our approved proposals. They gave some more suggestions about the whole event and they wished to see us present it tomorrow," she explained, putting the folders down on the desk.

Yuri frowned, opening one of the folders to see their proposal full of teachers' scribbles.

"Tomorrow?! That means we have to get the slideshow done by tonight! Hisako- _san_ is resting right now, let's not disturb her. It can't be helped, let me do—" she stopped abruptly, suddenly remembered the homecoming party she looked forward to.

She glanced at the windows, the sky had just begun showing its beautiful orange color.

 _If I work on this slideshow now, I wouldn't be able to go to the reunion. Not to mention I still have to finish double-checking my latest work as well. But I just can't abandon this assignment and having fun myself, can I? The success of tomorrow's presentation depends on this slideshow! Damn, what should I do..._

Aware of the taller girl's worried expression, Angel approached her. "What's wrong? You look troubled."

Surprised, Yuri looked back at the younger girl and shook her head. "N-nothing, really. It's just that... I'm kinda in a dilemma right now," she smiled uncomfortably.

"Dilemma..?" Angel tipped her head to the right.

Yuri looked down at her hands on the desk. "...Yeah. Actually I have a reunion with my friends today. My closest, best friends from middle school that I haven't seen in two years. I promised Ooyama- _kun_ that we'll go together, along with Hinata- _kun_. It's about time, though, maybe they're already finished with their clubs," she told her.

She checked on her watch again, then sighed and smiled dejectedly. "Well, it's impossible to finish the slideshow before the appointed time, anyway. I'll go for a moment to tell Ooyama- _kun_ I'll pass. Let's begin after I come back," she stood up from her seat and headed outside.

A sudden pull halted her movements before she reached the door. She turned to see Angel clutching on the right sleeve of her blazer uniform.

"Wait. Don't tell him that you'll pass," she said.

Yuri raised an eyebrow, confused by the sudden action. "Eh?"

"He will be disappointed," she uttered quickly, "not only him. All of your friends will be disappointed if you don't come. Just like how much you want to see them, they must be looking forward to see you, too," she added.

Yuri was taken aback by her words. _Did she just tell me to go to the reunion..?_ "Eh... But we have to work on the presentation, right..?" she asked uncertainly.

"I'll do it myself," she replied, "I'll double-check your and Hisako- _san_ 's share of works, as well. It will be fine."

Her golden eyes stared straight into her emerald ones, the usually cold gaze now softened a bit. "Having close friends is something you couldn't get easily. Making friends is easy, but keeping them is the real test. So don't ever make them disappointed of you. I'm sure that having them as your best friends is precious to you. I'll take care of everything here, so you can go," she let go of her sleeve.

The older girl was stunned. Never did she think this so-called Cruel Angel could say something as kind as that. She wasn't simply taking responsibility as the president, she also cared about her friendship.

"But please be sure to go back to your dorm before curfew," she added flatly.

Yuri sweatdropped. "...You're really the conservative, obedient type one, huh..." she rolled her eyes, but then smiled sincerely.

"Alright. I'll take my leave, then. Thank you so much, Pres."

The slightest of smile adorned her lips, then she nodded.

.

.

 **To be Continued**


	3. Friends

**A/N: Greetings! Fi here. First of all, I want to thank you for reviewing the previous chapters, Enilorac Eiram. You are awesome. And for everyone, here is the next chapter. It still focuses on bonding time between Kanade and Yuri before we move on to next event. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 3: Friends**

 **.**

 _ **Dead Monster Café**_

"CHEERS!"

The once empty café turned lively after a bunch of happy, hot-blooded teenagers barged in with a loud 'WE'RE BACK' choir. They hadn't stopped laughing, talking, and yelling, even after their drinks served on the table.

"To us old friends gathered here all again, cheers!" Hinata Hideki yelled, raising his glass of cola. The others followed, lifting up their glasses with louder cheers.

"Hey, hey, now aren't you a bit unfair? You're toasting without even waiting for me?" a girl in a waitress uniform came with a tray of pizzas in her hands. Her voice annoyed although her lips formed a teasing smirk.

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that, Iwasawa. You know we escaped from that party just to see you here," Hinata coaxed, "now, put the pizzas down and sit here with us!"

"Pizza party endless night! Woo-hoo!" the random shout came from TK, the absurd half-bred who never stopped wiggling his body. It was a mystery what his mother ate when she was pregnant with him for giving birth to such an... _unusual_ kid.

The girl called Iwasawa chuckled and did as Hinata said. Once the team were completed, they toasted once again, then began to dig in.

They were previously meeting up at the homecoming party at Senjou Junior High School. After saying hi and talking with fellow alumni, the gang then decided to continue the party themselves at this café where Iwasawa worked, who wasn't able to go to the party due to her shift. So here they were, in their smaller but much closer group, totally enjoying their reunion time.

"Man, this really brings back memories where we used to hang out here afterschool. This pizza screams nostalgia in my mouth, you know?" Ooyama commented, munching on a piece of pizza.

"I know. That's why I chose to be a waitress at this café as my part-time job. I thought we could hang out here anytime," Iwasawa replied, taking a bite of her pizza. "So, how have you guys been lately? It's been two years, right?"

"Same old, same old. We're still the crazy teens from Senjou, as you can see," Yuri giggled, "my last semester was quite boring though, having to stay at home and listen to every lesson given by my tutors."

"Oh yeah! I heard Yurippe was homeschooled because she was sick. How are you feeling now, Yurippe? Are you sure you're not going to lie dying in my arms?!" Noda cried in panic, his slanted eyes widened exaggeratedly.

Yuri rolled her eyes. "I was only recovering from _tuberculosis_ symptoms and my organs weren't going to shut down at any moment, but thanks for your concern, Noda- _kun_ ," she said sarcastically.

"Still, are you sure you're okay now, Yuri? _Tuberculosis_ needs total rest and medications, or else the bacteria wouldn't go away completely," came the flat concern from Shiina, and Yuri nodded confidently.

"Of course. My last check up and X-ray showed that my lungs are now clear from spots, so I can go to school normally. And I feel amazing," she assured.

Shiina nodded, her cold expression unchanged. Yuri smiled. _Still the silent, caring Shiina-_ san _we all missed._

"Glad to hear that. So now you're back to stay at the dorm, right? Geez, you guys are so lucky studying at Shinsen Academy, the favorite boarding high school. I had always wanted to go there," Sekine Shiori whined, then leered at Ooyama and Hinata, "Yurippe aside, I'm curious how did you guys manage to get trough the entrance exam. You guys clearly don't have brains as brilliant as Yurippe," she retorted skeptically.

"E-eeh... Pure luck, I guess..?" Ooyama scratched his cheek.

"How could you say that, Sekine? I made it through the track of my sport achievement, you know! My stupid brain isn't all that I have! Even now I become one of the baseball club regulars, can you believe it?!" Hinata stood up from his seat, pointing at Sekine accusingly.

He didn't hear the others whispering 'he even admitted that he's stupid', 'how stupid', 'is stupidity something we can be proud of?', 'his brain is just too stupid to know that being stupid is stupid', 'I think we're going stupid because of our discussion about his stupidity', 'isn't our main weakness is that we are stupid?', and 'stupid cupid stop picking on me' (this one came from TK).

Unaffected by the stupid talks, Iwasawa asked Yuri, "talking about club activities, how about you, Yuri? Do you attend one?"

The said girl nodded. "It's not truly a club, though. I'm joining the student council—" she startled, suddenly recalling the assignment she had to do back at school.

"Wow, the student council? That's so neat, Yurippe. There are not so many students in my school joining that willingly since it's such a pain in the ass. Hence, the teachers nominated the members by the highest ranks of each class."

"Our teachers choose some members as well, but they are open to other students who want to apply on free will just like Yurippe did. Besides, our student council president is a very hard-working and dependable one," Ooyama said cheerfully.

"But she's too cold and mysterious, don't you think? I'm actually a bit scared of her," Hinata shuddered.

"Eh, really? She's not scary at all. Just a little too quiet, but never even glares at people," Ooyama defended.

"Oh, so your president is a girl? How interesting."

Yuri didn't follow the rest of their conversation. She felt a bit uneasy thinking back about leaving her responsibility that afternoon. Angel did say she can go with her friends, but still...

" _Yosh_ , all food down, the night is still young! How about karaoke now? Iwasawa! I wanna hear you sing again!" Hinata exclaimed.

"That's a good idea, my shift is done here, after all. Let's go to Heaven-and-Hell, then," Iwasawa agreed, followed by cheers from the others.

"Eeeh, wait a second! Isn't it almost curfew soon, Hinata- _kun_? We have to go back to the dorms!" Ooyama protested. But Hinata threw an arm around his shoulders, a wicked grin on his face.

"Come on, it's fine! We're all gathered here now, it's okay to break the rules for once, right?" he laughed at Ooyama's worried face.

"That's right, just cut the good-student act already! Y.O.L.O, right? Yurippe, you coming too, right? Let's go!"

Yuri snapped from her thoughts. "A-ah... Sure," she then let the gang dragged her out of the café.

.

 _ **Road to Heaven-and-Hell Karaoke Box**_

"So, Iwasawa, do you still write your own songs? We really loved your songs back then."

"Yeah, it's my hobby, after all. Now I only able to sing in my free time, but when I gain enough money, I'll go to the town and take auditions, who knows I could do a proper recording," she uttered dreamily.

"You have real talent of being a musician, we believe you could. We're looking forward to your CD albums!"

Yuri walked at the back of the group, watching her friends chatting happily. Of course she was happy being with her friends, but something in her mind was holding her to fully enjoy the party.

 _Is Angel still working on the assignment? MY assignment? It's almost past curfew, and being the obedient student she is, she must have gotten back to the dorm by now. She also reminded me about that before I left, anyway._

She shrugged, trying to dismiss the thought and was about to join the group. However another thought entered her mind.

 _But... What if she stays? What if she's having difficulties and there's no one to help her...?_ She recalled her previous ponder about the lone girl. _Staying alone in that office, working on her task after everyone had left... And here I am, having fun myself selfishly on top of her sacrifice—_

She stopped walking. "Hey, guys..." the others paused as well and turned curiously at her.

"Looks like I'll pass this time. You know, I'm currently in the student council, so I can't just simply pass curfew and take a risk that somebody will probably find out then report me. Sorry," she laughed lightly.

"Eeeeehh?!" the gang whined, Noda even started pulling on his hair.

Yuri's face softened, her eyes showed deep regret. "I'm really sorry. I had a great time, though, it's really nice to finally hang out with you guys again after so long," she apologized sincerely.

Noda sighed. "Man, such a shame... Well, that's Yurippe for you. That is definitely what makes my heart so aches yet so swollen with pride," he clenched his chest, while the others stared oddly at him.

Yuri rolled her eyes, then laughed. "Be sure to let me know again for the next reunion, okay? See you later, guys!" she turned and walked back towards the academy complex.

"Bye, Yurippe! Take care!" they yelled back.

 _If Angel really stays and sacrifices her time covering my place, there's no way I'd be able to leisurely skipping to the karaoke box. How can I even have a face to show up at tomorrow's meeting, too? Even if she said it's alright... I still feel it's unfair for her._

.

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

.

" _Now...? No, no, don't... My daughter's home right now. *giggle*"_

 _._

" _You should make your choice now, Kanade."_

 _._

" _I really like your style, honestly."_

 _._

" _I'm sorry... But I..."_

 _._

" _Just shut up and be a good girl, will you?"_

 _._

" _I want to go back. Alone."_

.

The soft sound of typing and clicking was the first thing she heard after she regained her senses. Groggily, she moved her head, a blurred figure captured in her vision. While she was trying to focus her eyes, the figure turned to her and the typing sound stopped.

"Hey, Pres, you awake?" the feminine voice greeted, "you were sound asleep when I came here, and I noticed the slideshow was almost done so I've resumed on where you left. Now it only needs some final touches then we're all done," the clicking sound was heard again. "Ah! I didn't wake you up, did I? I tried not to make so much noise here."

The sleepy girl slowly lifted her head from the desk and sat straight on her seat, only then did she find a blanket was draped around her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes carefully as she looked at the figure again which she soon recognized as her vice-secretary.

"I thought you were out with your friends," she said softly.

Yuri didn't respond immediately as she kept focusing on her laptop.

"Geez, you should have go back to your room and get some rest if you're that tired. How could you tell me to go back before curfew while you stay here yourself, working alone to sleep? It's already past curfew, you know."

With the final click, she saved her work and sighed. " _Yosh_ , all done!"

She finally gave full attention to the other girl, now fully awake, her golden eyes blinking inquisitively.

"You know, you shouldn't have pushed yourself. Why did you insist if you're already exhausted?"

The girl tilted her head. "Because you said you have a reunion with your friends...?"

Yuri facepalmed. "I did. But what I mean is you should have known your own body's limit. Thankfully I came back here because I felt sorry for you. What if you slept here till morning and catch a cold?" she nearly scolded her.

The petite girl looked down at the desk.

"I don't know..." she answered, "I only thought Yuri wanted to meet her friends. And I had to finish the task before going back, because I promised Yuri I would take care of this."

Yuri was stunned. How simple this girl's way of thinking was, it was almost careless and sweet at the same time. She shook her head in defeat.

"You're just ridiculously awkward, aren't you?"

"I know."

Yuri was baffled. "You admit it yourself?"

The younger girl nodded, her expression flat as ever. Yuri sighed again, not believing the nature of this girl she just found out. Instead of cold and intimidating like how people said, Angel was beyond a little awkward and didn't know how to blend with people.

But then she smiled as she recalled something from her words.

"Oh, well... Seems like you aren't as cold as people said, actually. You called me Yuri just now, didn't you? Can I call you by your name, too?" she asked gently.

Her golden eyes widened a bit. "Why...?"

"'Why'? Didn't we just become closer now? You called my name because you're comfortable enough around me, right?" Yuri stated obviously.

"Closer..." her eyes soften, then her lips curved a bit, "maybe you're right."

Pleased with her response, Yuri smiled wider. "You know, Kanade- _chan_ , other people have been thinking wrong about your personality. If you can be less awkward and more open, I'm sure you can make more friends," she commented.

Kanade turned her shady eyes downwards. "There would be none."

"Why not? Have a confidence for once."

She paused for a moment. "Because if I open up myself... They would go away once they find out who I really am," she replied with a low voice.

"Who you really are...?" Yuri repeated. Curious, Yuri swivelled her chair fully in her direction. She inspected the girl's face, there was clearly a hint of sadness in those golden orbs.

 _So she isn't just a little awkward... She IS holding back against people. Looks like I've hit the nail on the head, after all... Score to my former hunch about this girl needing some help._

"Look, Kanade- _chan_. I don't really have to know who you really are. All I have to know is that you're actually a good person, that's all. Umm... Honestly, in the beginning I also thought you were heartless, though," she scratched her cheek and smiled apologetically. "But now I already know that you're not. That alone is enough to make me want to be friends with you. So I won't go away," she assured with a friendly grin.

Kanade was amazed by her sincerity. This was the first time someone willing to be her friend despite her unapproachable demeanor. Not just a co-worker who needed her leadership, not just a guy who only looked for a relationship. But a true friend who cared for her.

"You see, I had three younger siblings. Two sisters, one brother. I was the eldest, so I was used to look after their mischievous behavior. I had always wanted to protect and take care of them," Yuri started, "but I lost all of them in a bus accident. Their school was going out on a picnic, and the bus crashed on a bridge wall and fell into the river," she closed her eyes, her face darkened by the memory.

"I was so devastated, hating myself for not being able to save them. I even blamed God once, and wished if only I was also ride on that bus so that I could die with them," she opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling, "but then I realized. How much I mourned for my loss, they would never come back. All that I could do is live my life, on behalf of my siblings' who had not seen enough of the world."

She now turned at Kanade, who had been silently listening to her story. "When I look at you, I'm reminded the feelings of being an older sister once again. You're so young yet you look like some heavy burden was placed on your shoulders. That's why I want to be your support. Not by digging on your past, but by simply being here. To let you know that you're not alone," she finished, smiling at the stunned girl.

Kanade was battling inside her mind. Yuri's recognition was clearly nudging the deep feelings hidden in the bottom of her heart.

 _Is this the right time...? Am I ready for it yet...?_

Out of the blue, the pieces of her nightmare that awoke her earlier flashed again in her head, causing her to shut her eyes tightly.

Yuri stared at the unmoving girl with her head hung low, her bangs covered her face from her sight. She was silently thinking that maybe listening to other's personal story was too much for her, since this girl wasn't used being close with people to begin with. She smiled understandingly and swivelled her chair to turn off the laptop.

"Well, it's getting late. We should go back and get some slee—"

"My parents are divorced."

Yuri was startled at the sudden voice and spun her head back to Kanade. The girl was still in her last position, not meeting Yuri's shocked gaze as she spoke.

"They got divorced when I was ten. Their relationship was never going well to begin with, so it was kind of unsurprising. They didn't argue so often, but they were always in a cold war. My father was rarely home, while my mother was a cheater."

Yuri widened her eyes. _So she came from a broken home family...?_

"My mother often took her lovers home, not really cared whether I was there or not," she went on.

"What?!" Yuri couldn't believe her ears. What kind of mother cheating in front of her child?

Kanade lifted her head a little to glance up at her companion. "Fortunately I attended a music class so I didn't have to go straight home after school. I spent more time than needed there. Even after my class ended, I would take a stroll, peeking into other classes. Anything... Rather than being at home witnessing my mother's affairs," she closed her eyes in dismal.

Yuri understood how she felt at that moment. If she was in Kanade's position, she would have wished to run away from home instead.

"When they divorced, I chose to go with my father. I guessed that it would be better being with my workaholic father, rather than staying with my mother and her affairs. At least... that was what I thought..." her voice trembled, her head drooped once again.

Yuri braced herself. She knew what she was about to hear next wouldn't be any good.

"We moved abroad after I graduate from elementary school due to my father's job, then I took acceleration course at school. That was when things went worse."

Yuri gulped. "What happened...? Don't tell me you had to witness your father's affair as well?" she asked hesitantly.

Kanade paused a moment, her fists clenched. She then slowly shook her head. Yuri was almost letting out a breath of relief when the next words came.

"I wasn't witnessing it... I was the victim," she confessed in a small voice.

To say Yuri was shocked was an understatement. She covered her mouth with both hands, all words stuck in her throat.

Kanade let out a long, shaky sigh. "Whenever he was stressed at the job, or just whenever he liked it, he would come to me. I didn't know if it was because I resembled my mother so much... nor if it just his mind that was totally blinded. But he always acted nice throughout the day, though."

 _Acted nice? He was totally insane! How could he vent his dirty desires to his OWN child?! They have such a beautiful, gifted daughter and they just ruined her childhood like that?!_

"I couldn't stand it anymore. I studied hard until I finished middle school in one year, then went back here alone. I took a scholarship program to enter this boarding school, so that I shouldn't stay at my mother's. I just wanted to start a new life here," she finished her story, running her fingers through her long hair tiredly.

The room was silent for some moments, none of them dared to speak just yet. At last, after calming down from her overwhelmed state, Yuri reached out both her hands and held the other's small ones.

"You're so strong, Kanade- _chan_. Even after all those hardships, you still manage to fight and become a great student council president everyone respect. Just know that you are living a new life and you're not alone now," Yuri smiled sympathetically, causing Kanade to give back a little smile. "So is that why you never stayed too long dating someone? Because you were scared of them...?" she asked carefully.

Kanade stiffened. She gently pulled her hands away from Yuri's grasp.

"I'm sorry... Can we talk about it later...?" she requested as she looked away.

Yuri immediately understood that it was her first time sharing her bitter past, and perhaps she had reached her limit. She couldn't push her any further if she didn't want to torment her.

"Okay, take your time. I'm sorry if I reminded you more of your past," she apologized, while Kanade just shook her head. Yuri smiled as she stood up from her seat.

"Well, our slideshow is already done. Let's go back to the dorm now."

.

 _ **Heaven-and-Hell Karaoke Box**_

Hinata finished singing the song he chose, followed by applause from his audience. The score '92' appeared on the screen which lead more applause and whoops from the gang.

"Whoaaa, that wasn't bad at all, Hinata- _kun_! I never knew that you can sing," Sekine commented as she continued clapping.

Hinata rubbed his nose cockily. "Well, my girlfriend is a big fan of that band and she sings that song a lot. I think it's thank to her, then," he giggled.

"Oh, I see..."

Silence.

"EEEEHH? HINATA- _KUN_ HAS A GIRLFRIEND? SERIOUSLY?"

"WHO IS SHE, HINATA?! DID YOU BRIBE HER TO BE YOUR GIRLFRIEND, OR DID SHE JUST LOSE A BET?!"

Hinata was enraged. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME GETTING MYSELF A GIRLFRIEND?! I DIDN'T BRIBE HER AND SHE DIDN'T LOSE ANY BET! SHE'S JUST AN ORDINARY 2ND GRADE MIDDLE SCHOOLER WHO CAME TO WATCH MY GAME!" he panted as the room was filled with another silence.

"Did you hear? He's dating a middle schooler."

"Hinata- _kun_ is really a lolicon."

"Just as I thought, he won't get in a normal relationship."

"At first I thought he was gay."

The whispers were too loud which made Hinata snap. "I HEARD THAT!"

He then leered at Ooyama who was still dumbfounded. "Now, now, you guys can stop worrying about my love life. Let's worry about this shy and unpopular guy here," he mocked as he draped an arm around Ooyama's shoulders.

"Eeeeh? How could you say that, Hinata- _kun_?! Even I also have someone I like, you know! And I'm ready to confess my feelings to her!" he defended, pulling himself off from Hinata's hug.

The gang went crazy once more.

"WHAAT? OOYAMA HAS FINALLY FALLEN IN LOVE?"

"Let's pray he isn't falling in love with his sexy teacher and ends up having a forbidden relationship!"

This time it was Ooyama who exploded. "I'm not! She's merely my classmate, that's all!"

Hinata perked up by his answer. "Your classmate? Who is she? C'mon, shoot it! I might've known her!" he asked curiously.

Ooyama looked away shyly. "It's the student council president... Tachibana Kanade- _san_."

.

.

 **To be Continued**


	4. The Perfect Guy

**A/N: Hey guys! Fi is back. Firstly, big thanks to Enilorac Eiram and Voyager15 for following this story. This chapter is kind of short, but we are starting to move on with the story, now that Yuri and Kanade have already become friends. On with the story, hope you like it!**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 4: The Perfect Guy**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block B Second Floor, Corridor**_

"Thank goodness, I think I can sleep peacefully tonight. That presentation went pretty well, right, Kanade- _chan_? The teachers appeared to be quite impressed with our proposals," Yuri said cheerily to the long-haired girl walking beside her. Her steps felt so light because of the relief that she thought she could float at any moment. She was really glad that their hard work didn't go in vain.

Kanade nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully they could give us permission to start on preparations soon enough," she replied, shifting the folders in her arms.

They were just finished presenting their proposals to the teachers with other student council members. But instead of helping the others bringing the equipment back to the office, they wanted to go back to their class first to get their things.

Yuri had to admit she was still concerned about her new friend's past, but she was worried the girl would get depressed again at the topic. Hence, she hadn't mentioned their previous talk from last night. She kept her promise with simply being with her, certainly she wouldn't let her feel alone and succumb in her dreadful memories again.

"We still have some time until the break ends. Wanna grab some lunch?" she offered.

Kanade nodded, "sure."

The girls was about to enter the classroom to get their wallets when an unusual sight greeted them. There, at the corridor outside their class, a red-faced Ooyama was fidgeting, staring nervously at them. Behind him, Hinata beamed at their arrival.

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Ooyama- _kun_ and Hinata- _kun_? What are you guys doing standing there like an idiot?"

They seemed to ignore her question. Instead, Hinata pushed Ooyama's back impatiently, whispering something like 'what're you waiting for' or 'go for it', as Ooyama was getting more and more nervous every passing second.

With one last huff, Ooyama put a determined face and yelled.

"Tachibana- _san_! I'm sorry I didn't pick a better place or time! I've always loved you! Please go out with me!"

Silence.

"HEEEEEEEHH?!" Yuri was the first one to react by screaming loudly. The students around them soon followed, they started whispering and gaping at the startling scene.

 _Wait, wait a minute—Ooyama-_ kun _loves Kanade-_ chan _? Nah, I did have a hunch that he has feelings for her, though—GAH, that's not the problem! How can he suddenly become so brave to the point asking her out in public like this? More importantly, how will Kanade-_ chan _react—_

She whipped her head to see the said girl still glued on her spot, her only reaction was her eyes that widened ever so slightly.

After a few more tense seconds, she nodded. "Thank you."

 _SHE ACCEPTED HIM!_ Yuri screamed in her mind, not believing what she just witnessed. The crowds began applauding, while Ooyama smiled in relief, scratching his cheek sheepishly as Hinata ruffled his brown hair proudly.

She glanced down at Kanade once more, but her stoic feature was already back. Yuri sighed.

 _Well, since she's ready to have friends now, she's probably ready for a new relationship as well. Ooyama-_ kun _is a good guy, I think I can trust him to make her happy, though._

.

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

"Girls, did you hear? Angel got a new boyfriend!"

"Yeah, I saw that! Ooyama- _kun_ asked her out yesterday at the corridor, right? He's so brave!"

"But I feel kinda bad for him, though, falling into her charm like that. How long will it take until Angel breaks up with him, you think?"

"I guess it won't be longer than a month."

"A month? That's too long. I think it will last at least for two weeks."

Yuri ignored the girls gossiping in the class. Previously, she joined their talks to gain some information about Kanade. Now that she knew who she really was, she didn't think it was necessary gossiping her own friend.

 _Being sexually harassed by her own father... It surely left a traumatic and big scar on her heart. If I was her, it's enough to make me despise all men—I even would want to take revenge on every man blindly. Is that her true reason regarding to her previous relationships...? If it really is, it's quite reasonable, I might say. But..._

Yuri entwined her fingers in front of her chin, her brows furrowed in deep thought.

 _But knowing Kanade-_ chan _, she looks too fragile and modest to be able to do something cruel like revenge._

She then recalled the sight of a sad Kanade she saw on the day after she broke up with Kyousuke, then she sighed.

 _Well, whatever her reason was, maybe she has already changed her mind. The way she looked so glum that day was the proof. I just hope she's happy now with Ooyama-_ kun _anyway. He was my old friend, so I trust him._

.

 _ **Main Dining Hall Interior**_

Ooyama looked away in embarrassment when some students giggled and pointed at him. He took a bite of his melon bread as he shyly glanced at the girl sitting across from him.

"Looks like we become quite talked-about around people, huh? It's kinda uncomfortable," he laughed nervously.

"Sure we did, since you made such a scene confessing to me like that," she replied calmly, scooping some Mapo tofu from her plate.

Ooyama's cheeks flushed furiously that he almost felt steam would be coming out from his ears at any time.

"T-t-that was Hinata- _kun_ 's advice, actually! He said that if I confess in public, there will be higher possibility of getting accepted because you will feel a little intimidated by the crowd! I'm sorry!" the poor boy confessed, flailing his arms wildly. Now he wished there would be a hole to bury his burning head before it exploded from embarrassment.

On the contrary, Kanade nonchalantly swallowed her food, her face remained calm as ever despite the spiciness of the food.

"I see. But you know, you didn't have to go to the bother of doing all those things just to rise your chance. Even if you asked me normally, I wouldn't reject you nonetheless," she looked down at her half-eaten dish.

Ooyama stared in awe at his new girlfriend. He then smiled gently. "Tachibana- _san_ , actually there is something I want to ask you."

The girl looked up from her plate, giving him full attention.

.

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

Yuri entered her class, greeting her classmates with a cheerful 'good morning' then plopped down into her chair. She hummed a random song as she adjusted the headband she's wearing on her shoulder-length hair.

 _It's been two weeks since Kanade-_ chan _started dating Ooyama-_ kun _and everything looks fine, they're often seen spending time together. I'm glad they get along well, really._

As both of their friend, of course Yuri was glad that their relationship went smoothly. But what made her feel more grateful was that Ooyama could seemingly cheer up the distant girl.

Unfortunately, she didn't know that her peaceful morning would be ruined soon.

Pretty soon.

"Good morning, Hitomi- _chan_!" a girl greeted her friend who was just arrived at her seat.

"Morning. Hey, remember our talk from two weeks ago? I think you were right about Angel. I heard it from Ooyama- _kun_ himself, you know!" the girl called Hitomi said hastily in a single breath.

"What do you mean?"

"Angel broke up with him."

Yuri whipped her head in alarm, looking at the girls with wide eyes.

"What?! Really?" the girl asked in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Hitomi said, "I simply asked about Angel and him, but he smiled sadly saying that they just broke up."

"Oh Gosh, so it happened again... Did he tell you the reason?"

"No, he immediately entered the staffroom after that."

Yuri looked around the classroom, and indeed, Ooyama wasn't inside the room. She noticed that Kanade was absent as well, which was unusual for a diligent student like her. She usually arrived at the class at least fifteen minutes before homeroom started.

As if on cue, the bell rang and everyone hurriedly sat down in their respective seats. Yuri followed suit, though still pondering what really happened with her friends.

The teacher entered the class, surprisingly with Ooyama who then stood in front of the class beside his teacher instead of heading to his desk.

"I have a bad news for you all. Ooyama- _kun_ will be transferred school starting tomorrow," the teacher announced.

"What?!" Yuri unconsciously shouted, followed with disbelieving protests from other students.

"Oh my... He isn't leaving this school because Angel hurt him, right...?"

"That's not possible! He sure is soft-hearted, but to think only because of that..."

More whispers were heard from behind, but Yuri tried her best to ignore all of them.

.

 _ **Study Block B Second Floor, Corridor**_

Ooyama had left the class right after the first period ended, before Yuri could bombard him with questions. Disappointed, she headed to the restroom instead.

 _It can't be helped, he must be going to the staffroom again to finish his administrations. More importantly... Kanade-_ chan _didn't show up during first period at all. It's very unlike her to skip classes like that..._

She bit her nails in discomfort.

 _Why did she break up with him? I thought they were fine... Was she really being in a relationship just for revenge...? No, no, Kanade-_ chan _would never do that. Then why—_

She had arrived at the restroom, only to be surprised by the sight that greeted her as she pushed the door open.

Leaning on the sink was Kanade, a few strands of her hair fell loose from her hairclip. Her shocked, glassy eyes stared back at Yuri's wide ones, and traces of dried tears were seen on her cheeks.

"Yuri..." the missing girl whispered.

Still taken aback, Yuri managed to speak hesitantly, "Kanade- _chan_... Are you okay...? Why are you—" she took a step forward and reached out to touch her friend, but the frail girl flinched, covering her face with her arm.

"I'm sorry, Yuri... Please don't look at my face right now," her voice trembled. She quickly turned and locked herself inside one of the stalls before Yuri could stop her.

Startled, Yuri knocked on the door. "Kanade- _chan_ , what happened? Open the door! If you're upset, you know you can talk to me..." she coaxed, but all she could hear was a soft sob.

"I'm sorry..." her broken voice was heard from behind the door.

Resigned, Yuri sighed and turned her heels. Kanade needed some time alone, so there might be nothing she could do right now. With one last concerned look at the stall, she left the restroom.

 _That means there's only one person I could talk to..._

.

 _ **Study Block B, Third Floor—Roof**_

Yuri took a gulp from her Key Coffee can, then glanced at the boy beside her. His can was still unopened.

"I didn't hear anything about you transferring from here," she started.

The boy gave a hollow laugh. "Sorry, Yurippe. I just didn't want to be a burden to you guys. Actually, my family has been preparing it for a while. We're moving to Osaka, where my dad will work at the new branch," he explained.

Yuri leaned on the railing tiredly. "Haah, that sucks. There are only the three of us from Senjou to begin with, and now only Hinata- _kun_ and I remain here," she grumbled, then threw a mocking glare from the corner of her eyes. "I once trusted you to take care of Kanade- _chan_ , too, you know."

Ooyama was flustered and his face reddened clearly. Yuri grinned, amused by his innocence.

"So did you two break up 'cause you'll be moving away?"

Ooyama nodded, finally opening his canned coffee. "Yeah. That was our agreement from the beginning, after all."

Confused, Yuri turned to him. "Agreement?"

He took a gulp from his can. "Yeah. I told her I'll be moving in two weeks, and she agreed to go out with me until then. Until this morning, to be exact."

Yuri was still puzzled. "Wait a second, I don't get it. Didn't she already say yes when you asked her out?"

Ooyama took another big gulp, and when he finished, he forced a smile at his companion.

"She did. In fact, she would always say yes to whoever confessed to her," he answered, "she told me she would still accept me no matter how I asked her out. I was curious so I asked why had she never kept her previous relationships long enough. And it turned out she never broke up with anyone. It was always the guys who broke up with her," he told her, gazing down at the school grounds below.

"She's too kind, you know...? Even though she didn't have feelings for me, she still agreed to be with me during my last days here. I know I was being a bit selfish, yet she stayed without questioning me at all. She truly is what I imagined when I first fell for her. Beautiful, smart, sincere, and kind-hearted. Well, besides her stoic exterior, though," he chuckled shyly.

Yuri just listened to his story silently. She was dumbfounded by the new fact that had never crossed her mind before.

 _In other words... Kanade-_ chan _indeed never intends to take any revenge. It's purely because she's too kind and awkward to reject someone! Meaning, she is the one who always gets hurt whenever a guy breaks up with her._

Her heart stung as she thought how people had gravely misread Kanade to the point throwing false judgement about her.

 _That idiot... She only keeps hurting herself..._

A deep sigh from Ooyama brought her back from her train of thought.

"If there's anything I regret... It was that I scared her. She had been so nice to me, yet I made her scared," he spoke again.

"What do you mean?" she asked, suspicious. An image of the teary-eyed Kanade earlier suddenly flashed in her mind.

 _Don't tell me he made her cry. This innocent, timid Ooyama-_ kun _did?!_

He gripped the railings tightly. "This morning, I met her to make our relationship clear and put an end to our agreement. Her smile as she thanked me was what made me cross the line," his cheeks flushed at the memory.

"I tried to kiss her goodbye, but she refused. I quickly realized what I did and apologized to her. She nodded, but she hadn't removed her arm from covering her mouth. I swore, even in a split second, I saw fright in her eyes."

Yuri gasped, now everything was clear as day. _She must be reminded of her father, that's why she ran away and let it out in the restroom..._

Ooyama turned to her in panic. "I didn't do it on purpose, Yurippe! I didn't mean to scare her at all, what if she hates me for that?" he wailed.

Yuri sweatdropped, silently thinking this was much more Ooyama-like this time. The gloomy version of him earlier definitely didn't suit him one bit. She then patted his shoulder uncertainly.

"I-it's fine, there's no way she would hate you. She's just a little awkward, she was probably just feeling unfamiliar with something like that. She told you it was okay right? So don't think too much about it," she forced a laugh, but surprisingly it calmed him down.

"Maybe you're right. Thanks, Yurippe," he smiled gratefully, while Yuri let out a breath of relief. She was thankful this boy was too innocent to be suspicious over something.

"Anyway, don't ever forget about us here, Ooyama- _kun_. We'll certainly miss you a lot. Always keep in touch, okay?" she winked.

Ooyama nodded, grinning widely. "Sure! I'll miss you guys, too!" he said excitedly. Yuri was amazed by how fast his mood changed. "Oh, looks like I have to go back to the staffroom. I'll see you after school, Yurippe. I'll treat you and Hinata- _kun_ at the cafeteria!" he beamed before heading back to the door.

She smiled, following his retreating figure with her eyes. She then turned her gaze to the sky, her brows furrowed.

 _What kind of situation is this... The girl who has been judged as the Cruel Angel, a player responsible for the heartbreaks of countless guys, is really just a lonely girl suffering from her traumatic childhood, with a personality too soft and awkward to simply reject a confession...? It's too pitiful, honestly._

She raised her can, shaking it slowly. There was some coffee left inside.

 _With her current condition, it surely would be difficult for her to have a normal relationship. Especially when most of the guys only ended up hurting her more._

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she threw a determined gaze up to the sky.

 _Looks like I should help her find the perfect guy for her, that will end her misery once and for all. This is the least I can do as her friend._

.

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-A**_

The morning bell had stopped ringing and all the students hurriedly took their seats. Soon, their homeroom teacher entered the classroom.

"Good morning, students. Before we start the lesson, I would like to introduce a new transfer student who will be studying with you here," she then gestured to the student waiting in the doorway. "You, please come in."

A tall, ginger-head male student walked in then stood in front of the class with a warm smile, waiting for the teacher to finish writing his name on the blackboard.

"My name is Otonashi Yuzuru. Nice to meet you all."

.

.

 **To be Continued**

 **.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hm. Otonashi finally makes his appearance. Took him long enough. XD RnR?**


	5. New Member

**A/N: Hey guys! Fi here. Big thanks to Enilorac Eiram and Bad Luck Andrew, your support really means a lot! Anyone excited to see Otonashi in the story? I do. Haha. Anyways, hope you like this chapter guys!**

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 5: New Member**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

If there was something Yuri didn't like more than studying at class, it was doing chores. She often got bored easily during classes, but at least she could just simply daydream or observing other classmates if that happened.

However, she couldn't keep lazing around during chores if she didn't want her friends to protest. There was no way she would skip doing chores either, since she had to maintain good records and manners as student council.

Today was no different, except that she had another reason to do her chores diligently.

The students were busy doing their chores that afternoon. Some were sweeping the floor, cleaning the blackboard, or arranging the desks. It didn't take long until they finished their chores and left one by one.

"I'm going to return this report book to the staffroom on my way back. See you tomorrow, Yuri!"

"Yeah, thanks," Yuri waved at her classmate, waiting until she closed the door.

There were only two people remained in the classroom. Yuri looked at her companion whose attention was focused on the trash bin.

"Kanade- _chan_ , can we have a moment?"

The said girl turned at her friend's serious tone. She then nodded and put the trash bin back down on the floor.

Yuri had been watching Kanade's attitude throughout the day. Yesterday she was such a mess, but this morning she showed up normally as if nothing happened. She also appeared quite calm and collected during classes, bringing Yuri into conclusion that it was okay to talk to her.

"Yesterday, I heard the story straight from Ooyama- _kun_. About you guys and what you told him," she started.

"I see," her flat expression didn't drop one bit, and Yuri leaned in a little to study her face better.

"Is it true? That you never rejected nor broke up with anyone confessed to you."

When Kanade only lowered her head without any reply, Yuri sighed. She leaned her back straight again and put her hands on her hips.

"You know, Kanade- _chan_. Being in a relationship with random guys will never make you happy, especially when you can't stand any close physical contacts. It will only bring back your old memories, definitely unhealthy for you. Do you even know the meaning of dating someone?" she nearly scolded, but seeing Kanade's guilty frown made her calm down right away.

Yuri softened her voice, "I'm concerned about you, you know. Why didn't you just honestly respond based on your true feelings? Just tell them what you think about them, I'm sure they would understand."

"That's not true," came Kanade's soft voice after a moment of silence.

"Huh?"

"I didn't accept all the guys confessing their love to me," she clarified.

"Eh? But Ooyama- _kun_ said—"

"There's only one person I once rejected. The first boy ever who confessed to me," her golden eyes dimmed as she recalled another part of her past, "the only boy I had ever fallen in love with."

Yuri was glad she wasn't in the middle of drinking her favorite Key Coffee, or else she must had choked herself to death from the surprise.

She grabbed her friend's shoulder impatiently. "Gimme a sec—you loved him? But why did you reject him then?"

Somehow, Kanade's revelation about being in love once sparked a small hope for the girl's own salvation.

"It happened before I moved overseas with my father. That time... I didn't believe in relationships. 'What is the point of being mutually in love? My parents were also in love once, but look at them now,' was what inside my mind back then. However..."

She shut her eyes bitterly. "However, when I saw that hurt, painful face... Suddenly I couldn't forgive myself," she sighed, "and I swore to myself that I would never do anything to cause that kind of face again," she finished.

Yuri took her hand from the small shoulder of her friend back to her side as realization hit her. "So that's the real reason why you never rejected any guys... Because you couldn't bear seeing their hurt expression which would remind you of that person," she concluded.

Kanade gave a small nod.

Yuri sat on the nearest desk and started massaging her temples. _This girl's level of awkwardness is beyond rational, isn't it? Add her soft-hearted nature to the formula, what a perfect combo she got there._ She thought ironically.

"Listen, Kanade- _chan_. You _did_ hurt them eventually by giving something like false hopes, right? Moreover, you only hurt yourself more in the process. I'm sure you felt guiltier every time your relationship ends," she wasn't just talking without any reason. Now she knew the source of the dejected face she saw after Kyousuke broke up with Kanade back then.

The said girl just hung her head, her hands playing with the hem of her blazer uncomfortably.

"I know... What can I—"

"Just try to be honest with your own feelings, Kanade- _chan_ ," Yuri cut her off, "next time when somebody confesses to you, think carefully based on what's inside your heart. This all is for your own good," she added more gently.

Kanade let her friend's words sink in slowly. Finally she nodded, a thin smile formed on her lips. "Okay."

Yuri smiled back, then stood up from the desk. "Alright, now let's get back to work. I'll help you bring these bins down."

.

 _ **Study Blocks—Inner Garden**_

Hinata was leisurely walking with the new transfer student. It was his nature to be gracious and friendly to new people, so he instinctively volunteered himself to take the new guy on a tour around the school. And since his seat happened to be next to his, Hinata had not stopped talking ever since, talking randomly about school and stuff.

"So, how was your first day at school, Otonashi? Having fun enough?"

The guy called Otonashi glanced at the speaker uncertainly. He was glad that he already made friends with a quite friendly guy. Still... He was not used to his new friend's antics which was... _too_ friendly.

"Well... It wasn't that bad, really. I kinda like this school, the people are nice as well."

When Hinata gave a proud grin, Otonashi quickly added, "but you don't have to go to the trouble of taking me around the school complex, you know. I could have just taken a walk on my own."

Hinata just shrugged and laughed lightly. "Heheh, don't mention it. I don't really mind, either. I'm actually quite fond of you," he said, winking at his new friend.

Otonashi shuddered, taking a step away from the blue-haired guy as he thought his suspicion had been confirmed. "Are you into _that_?" he whispered skeptically.

"I'M NOT! I'M JUST TRYING TO BE HOSPITABLE TO YOU, DAMMIT! I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!"

Otonashi ignored his rage and inwardly sighed in relief. "Okay, fine. But that aside, don't you have any club activity after this? I just don't wanna be a bother," he asked worriedly.

"That's okay, our club has no practice today," he grinned, quickly recovered from his temper. "Ah, come to think of it, do you plan to join a club? Wanna join our baseball club?" he asked excitedly.

His new friend thought about the offer. "Hmm... I don't know yet. I like sport, though, but I still wanna check other clubs..."

"Take your time. It's still your first day, anyway. Now, I'll take you to the dining hall."

Otonashi let him lead the way. Right after they got outside the building, the sight of two students walking towards the incinerator caught his attention. Two girls were each carrying a trash bin. One had shoulder-length purple hair with a ribbon headband, and the shorter one had long silver hair with a hairclip on the back of her head.

The taller girl was talking animatedly while the other listened silently. Out of the sudden, a strong wind blew and she turned her head slightly, pushing back her hair away from her face.

That was when he was able to see her golden orbs, and his own eyes widened unconsciously.

Hinata seemed to notice his sudden halt. "What's wrong, Otonashi? The dining hall is this way," he pointed to their left.

Otonashi didn't break his stare as he called him. "Hinata... Who is she...?" he pointed towards the direction of his stare.

"Hmm? Ah, those girls? Which one?" Hinata peered.

"The one with long hair."

"Oh. Tachibana Kanade, the student council president. Some people also call her Angel. She's quite popular among the boys in spite of her stoic and cold exterior. She never stays long dating anyone, though. My recently transferred buddy is her last ex," he told him, "why?"

Otonashi shook his head at him. "Oh... Nothing," he turned back to see the girls had disappeared at the corner to the incinerator. He gazed at the space solemnly. "It's nothing..."

.

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

"I've told you, all the girls in our class wouldn't stop talking about this person. They kept on talking and it's really annoying. What's so special about him, really?" Yuri complained lazily, laying her chin on top of her folded arms on the desk.

"They did? I didn't realize it," Kanade remarked blankly.

"Sure you didn't, you were too concentrated on the lessons to care about anything else," Yuri commented.

"Ah, if it's about that new transfer student, he has become a hot topic in our class in 2-C, as well. I haven't seen him in person, though. What is he like, really, Vice-Pres? They said he's pretty good-looking," the secretary peered at the only boy in the room, who brightened up instantly at the topic.

"They weren't talking for nothing. Otonashi- _san_ is truly a great person! He's really smart, very kind and friendly to everyone. He even saved me from being hit by a stray ball on P.E. No wonder he becomes so popular in just a few weeks," Naoi answered excitedly with twinkling eyes.

The other three girls stared oddly at him—well, minus Kanade who just threw her signature emotionless glare.

"Looks like he finally shows his true color after all this time, huh?" Hisako whispered.

"Should we feel lucky or damned instead to see this side of him?" Yuri whispered back uncertainly.

"Discomforting," Kanade deadpanned.

A knock on the door successfully stopped the girls from making a face at Naoi in his fanboy-mode.

"Come in," Kanade called.

The door opened, revealing a tall guy holding some papers in his hand. He walked in hesitantly. "Please excuse me..."

"Otonashi- _san_!" Naoi beamed, and the girls looked surprisingly at him. Again, except Kanade who was still in her stoic mode.

'Eeeh?! That's him? To think he will show himself at perfect timing!'

'They weren't lying, though. He's pretty attractive.'

Unaffected by the hype around her, Kanade welcomed their guest professionally. "Good afternoon. May I help you?"

Snapped from his own short trance, the boy nodded politely. "A-ah, I'm Otonashi Yuzuru, from class 2-A. I was transferred here a few weeks ago, and I would like to join the student council. I also have teacher's recommendation here," he handed his application form and the said papers to her.

Kanade accepted them and began inspecting without bothering to look up.

"Did you ask the teacher yourself to make this recommendation for you?"

"Yes. I thought it would be more convincing," he answered confidently.

"You have such a motivation..." she complimented, "alright. Your application is approved. I'm Tachibana Kanade, the student council president. This is Naoi Ayato- _kun_ , the vice-president. Then Hisako- _san_ and Nakamura Yuri, our secretaries," she gestured to them one by one, who then greeted him cheerfully.

"Welcome to the student council," Kanade finally lifted her head, and with him standing closer now, she could clearly see his calm, burgundy eyes looking back at her.

She was suddenly lost of words.

 _Those eyes, why do I have a feeling that..._

She felt her heartbeat tickling inside her chest. A weird feeling that left her unable to speak.

He smiled warmly, a smile that reached both of his eyes. "I'll be in your care, Tachibana."

Her cheeks warmed at the way he called her name. She involuntarily looked down as she felt something tugged in her heart.

"A-alright..." she murmured.

The whole scene hadn't gone unnoticed by Yuri. She grinned, her heart swelled with hope at the new expression showed by her friend.

 _It's a very good sign!_

.

 _ **Study Block B, Message Board**_

"O-oh, is that so... I understand. Could we at least be friends...?"

"Sure. I'm really sorry about that."

The poor girl shook her head, and with one last heartbroken smile, she bowed and walked away.

Otonashi sighed, following the retreating figure until she was out of his sight.

"It sure is hard being popular, isn't it?"

He turned at the voice, and he found a purple-haired girl smirked at him.

"Was that the second—or even the third one this month?" she asked again.

Otonashi rolled his eyes. "I dunno. I'm not counting it, after all," he replied.

Yuri giggled. "You're really something, huh? I feel bad for the girls, though," she held out a can of Key Coffee in his direction, "they said you always told them the same reason, that you're waiting for someone. Was that only an excuse to turn them down?"

He took the can from her, popped it open and took a big gulp. "I never gave fake reasons. They were honestly confessing their feelings, so the least I could do was to give them an honest answer," he uttered calmly.

She was slightly taken aback. She cupped her chin then spoke in a low voice, "that is exactly what Kanade- _chan_ should have done from the start."

Those words were still audible that he nearly choked on his coffee. "She should have done what?" he blurted out.

Yuri was surprised by his sudden interest, but she answered nonetheless. "You know that she's quite popular too, right? Unfortunately, she's too kind to simply reject the guys."

When she saw a change of glint in his eyes, she grinned inwardly. "She should have done what you did just now, shouldn't she? I think despite her countless record of dating, she's actually waiting for the right person to settle down with," she explained. From her peripheral vision, she noticed Otonashi listened to her words carefully.

"Come to think of it, you said you're waiting for someone... So, someone already caught your attention, eh...?" she pressed on, "you better move quickly rather than just waiting, you know. You never know if there's another wolf watching your prey and is getting ready to strike before you do," she teased.

He literally choked on his coffee this time. His face flushed as he coughed furiously. "D-does it even matter now? Furthermore, what do you mean by that wolf-and-prey metaphor?! You make me look like lolicon old geezer targeting a little girl!"

Yuri laughed at his unexpected outburst, while Otonashi just rolled his eyes around, annoyed. Then he spotted a pack of posters on the floor, right beside the wall Yuri had been leaning on.

"Uhm, are those the posters for the upcoming cultural festival? I didn't know it's already finished," he quickly changed the topic.

Yuri glanced down at the said stack of papers. "Yeah, Naoi- _kun_ just brought it from the printing house. I was about to put it on the message board," she replied.

"Let me help you, then. I haven't done anything with preparations today," he offered.

An idea popped up inside Yuri's brain like a light bulb.

"Ah! If you want to help, you better go to the music room to help moving the instruments. My work here is much easier, so I'll be fine on my own," she smirked imperceptibly.

.

 _ **Study Block A First Floor, Music Room**_

Kanade looked around the room, registering the instruments available by listing them on the papers she clipped on her clipboard. She also needed to make sure all the instruments were in good condition before taking them to the gymnasium.

She walked to the only grand piano in the room. They wouldn't move the piano into the gym since it was way too heavy—they would only use the keyboards—however, something attracted her to the beautiful instrument.

She ran her fingers through its smooth surface, lifting up the lid to show aligned keys calling for her touch. She pressed on a random key, a clear high tune greeted her ears. She closed her eyes, a wave of nostalgia surrounded her automatically.

Her body made its way to sit down on the bench. She put down her clipboard, placed both hands on the keys, then let them dance gracefully, delivering a beautiful song she knew so well.

She felt as if her soul being drifted away, her body unconsciously moved along with the flow of her tunes.

When she hit the last notes to end her song, her senses were slowly returning. She opened her eyes, her lips curved up ever so slightly by the tranquil feeling left by the music.

An applause was what brought her back to reality. She whipped her head and saw Otonashi on the doorway, clapping his hands. Noticing her surprised face, he immediately realized his rudeness and apologized right away.

"Sorry to disturb you. Yuri asked me to help with the works here, then I saw you playing. I couldn't help but watch," he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

Kanade shook her head. "It's fine. It wasn't something big, more like it came out of reflex, anyway. It's been a while since the last time I played piano. Years, maybe," she replied nonchalantly.

Otonashi stared at her intently, his eyes softened.

"But looks like you haven't lost your talent at all. As usual, your fingers moved like they had eyes on their own. You still have that ability to drag people's emotions into your songs. I really like that style of yours, honestly."

She tilted her head. It was his first time watching her play the piano, but why did it sound like he knew her we—

.

" _I really like your style, honestly."_

.

She could feel those weird feelings from the first time she met him. As his words sunk in, slowly pieces of her past flashed in her brain, until realization hit her like a brick.

In her wide, shocked golden eyes, Otonashi's figure was changing into a younger-looking boy, with longer ginger hair that covered the left part of his face. But his eyes remained the same, warm wine-colored ones she recognized at last.

"It's been a while, Tachibana," he said gently, and that was the key to make Kanade's memories resurfaced like a broken dam.

Her heart was beating rapidly right now.

" _Senpai_..."

.

.

 **To be Continued**


	6. First Love

**A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, guys! XD I know that I'm a bit late—I was kinda busy in the end of the year, my cousin's family was visiting us then came the end year holiday—but I digress. Big thanks for Jorge (Hi! Thank you very much, of course I will complete this. Hope you like this chapter as well. XD), RedSS, Cosmo05, and Enilorac Eiram for your reviews. Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

 **.**

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 6: First Love**

 **.**

 _ **Three Years Prior**_

 _ **Senzoku Music School**_

 _The 12-year-old Kanade walked out from her class, dragging her feet lazily. Time flew pretty fast when you were enjoying it, and that was what Kanade hated the most. Her class was over, but it was way too early to go home._

 _So she did what had become her routine everyday: walking around the school and taking a peek into each class' window._

 _She was finished peeking into drum class and about to move on to the next class. She didn't care if the students called her stalker, all that matter was it became her habit now and she liked doing it. This way, she could kill some time without needing to talk with anyone._

 _Just perfect for such a silent and awkward girl as her._

 _Her next target was the guitar class. When she took a peek, a boy was in the middle of playing his acoustic guitar on his seat. His eyes were blazing beyond his long bangs, seriously reading the music sheets in front of him. His hands were still stiff around the strings though, but the determination in those eyes made Kanade stay in her place and watch him, instead of walking away after taking a glance inside._

 _Before she knew it, the class was ended, just like that. The teacher said something about practicing at home—which the class didn't really give attention to—then the students started packing. Oddly enough, Kanade was still standing there, somewhat forgetting her initial plan of taking only a little peek._

 _Somehow, the boy from earlier spotted her presence behind the window and their eyes met. To her surprise, he threw a smile and nodded at her._

" _I see that you came again. Are you interested in guitar?" the boy asked right after he exited the class._

 _Kanade was a bit surprised. "You recognized me?"_

 _He gave a light chuckle. "Of course. You're always peeking from the window everyday. If you're that interested, you can join our class so you can learn about guitars with us."_

 _She shook her head. "No. I don't have any desire about guitar," she answered flatly._

" _O-oh, is that so..." he sweatdropped at her frankness, "which instrument do you like, then?"_

" _Piano."_

 _Only then did his eyes catch a music sheet book sticking out from her tote bag._

" _You're taking piano class here?" he concluded._

 _She nodded._

" _But... Didn't the piano class finish about an hour ago? Why are you still here, then?"_

" _I'm just buying myself some time. I don't like being alone at home."_

" _Ah, I see. Is your dad still at work? What time does he get home?"_

" _Around midnight."_

 _He grimaced. "But you won't stay here until midnight, will you?" when she shook her head no, he sighed in relief. "What about your mom? Is she working, too?"_

 _Kanade looked down, her eyes darkened. "She's not with us. My parents are divorced," she answered with a steady voice._

 _A pang of guilt hit him for asking something so sensitive, even though it was unintended._

" _Oh... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"_

 _She shook her head quickly, her shoulder-length hair swayed with her movements. "It's fine, I'm used to it. I started taking piano classes before they divorced, and I haven't stopped spending time here after class ever since that time. Even now, it has become my habit," she explained._

 _He was a tad surprised at her tough response. However, he could feel that she really must be feeling sad inside—she was only good at hiding it._

" _Well... If you want, I can accompany you, then. It's better than just waiting alone, right?" he offered._

 _Normally she would rather spending time alone than having someone to keep her company. However..._

 _She looked up at the teen boy. There was sincerity in his right eye that wasn't covered by his long bangs._

 _She nodded._

 _._

 _._

 _The ginger-haired boy grinned as he walked out from his class and made a beeline to greet the girl waiting for him._

" _I saw you playing today. Gosh, am I the stalker now?" he quipped, then chuckled at her surprised face._

"Senpai _saw me...? But I didn't realize..."_

 _He grinned wider. "I was lucky I took the right time peeking into your class when I got here. It was exactly at the time you started playing," he told her, "and of course you didn't realize me, with your eyes closed and you only focused on your song."_

 _It had become a habit that they would meet up after his class ended. Everyday, she would peek into his class, then she would wait until his class was finished. She decided to call him_ senpai _after he told her he was a second grade middle schooler. She didn't ask for his name though, since it was enough just to be able to address him._

 _Kanade saw a glint in his eyes she had never seen before. He tilted his head slightly so now she could see both of his eyes, his bangs weren't in the way._

" _You played amazing. It was only my first time watching you play, yet I couldn't help but mesmerized. Your fingers danced freely as if they had eyes on their own," he smiled gently, "I really like your style, honestly. You're very talented, Tachibana."_

 _Kanade was stunned by his compliment. But then she realized something he just said in the end of his sentence._

" _My name... How did you—"_

 _His chuckle cut her off. "I heard your teacher called you that. You've never told me your name, so I was glad I heard it right. I want to call you that from now on. Do you mind, Tachibana?" he asked softly._

 _Something stirred inside her chest as he called her name. It was a weird, new feeling she had never felt in her life, but it was not unpleasant at all. She broke the eye contact, looking down at her feet which made her short silver hair tickled her cheeks._

" _N-no... Not at all," she replied in a low voice. There was a warm heat on her cheeks, and she thought it was because of her annoying hair._

 _She made a mental note to pull it up in a ponytail starting tomorrow._

 _._

 _._

" _It's been almost half a year, huh? Time sure flies so fast," the boy spoke after downing some warm coffee from his can._

" _Uhm," the girl beside him mumbled in agreement, her cold hands wrapped around her can of warm tea._

 _It was a clear winter evening, cold wind brushed around them at the inner garden of the music school. They seemed unbothered by the weather though, they were used to be together in this kind of peaceful silence._

"Senpai _'s skills have improved a lot since the beginning, I could see that," Kanade said. The boy turned his head at her, his eyes widened in delight._

" _Really? My fingers were pretty stiff in the beginning that I couldn't form a perfect chord," he asked uncertainly._

 _She nodded. "I saw how_ senpai _played today, it was really nice and smooth. You've grown to have your own style yourself. You told me before about my style, but..." she looked away shyly, "...I kind of like your style, too."_

 _He gaped at her comment, then threw that warm smile she knew so well. "Thanks, Tachibana. It means a lot."_

 _It came again, the pleasant warmth in her chest every time he called her name. For the umpteenth time, she felt a tug to ask for his name, too. That way they could be closer by calling each other's names._

 _She immediately shrugged away those feelings nevertheless._

I need to calm down. I don't have to be closer to him. I don't want to be in love with anyone. Love is just a delusion which will lead you to misery. No matter how much you love at the start, sooner or later, you will part eventually. Just like my parents...

Just like what happened with my parents...

" _I'm glad if I really have improved like you just said. Meaning, all my time here didn't go to waste."_

 _She turned at his words which broke her short trance. He was twirling his can, checking whether it still had some coffee inside._

 _There was something off with his words._

" _What do you mean?" she asked._

 _Finding there was no coffee left inside, he threw his empty can into a nearby wastebasket, then sighed heavily. A puff of fog formed from his mouth._

" _Actually, this is my last day here. I'm quitting my guitar class," he confessed._

 _Startled, she looked at him in disbelief. "Eh...?"_

" _You see... My little sister has fallen ill recently. It doesn't look pretty good... So I think I have to stay more at home and take care of her."_

 _Her shoulders dropped imperceptibly. "Oh... I see. I hope she will get better soon, then..." she tried to make her voice monotonous as ever despite the shocking and disappointing news._

" _Thanks," he replied, then he turned and gave her a somber smile. "That means this is our last day spending time here, isn't it?"_

 _Something in his smile, in his gaze, made her couldn't take her eyes away from him. Those words tasted so bitter that she wasn't sure how to respond._

 _To her relief, he beat her with his next words._

" _You know, Tachibana. I'm really glad I met you here, being able to keep you company like this. I always enjoy every time we spend together. Not only because I like how you play piano or how you always peek curiously into my class, but also your presence itself has been precious to me. I honestly don't wanna lose our time together, but..."_

 _He looked straight into her golden eyes, making sure she caught his determination from his gaze._

" _If you want to, we can keep seeing each other even if I'm not here anymore. Anytime we have some free time... Ah! You can help me take care of my sister, too. She won't mind. The point is... I won't feel lonely if you're by my side. I love you, Tachibana."_

 _She was left speechless, his words were like a lullaby in her ears which successfully made her float inside. Her heart was racing, her cheeks warmed—and now she knew it wasn't caused by her hair. She was happy, she was about to drown in her reciprocated feelings—_

 _Until the images of her parents flashed in her mind._

 _She stiffened. Just like popping a balloon, her floaty emotions turned cold as reality brought them back hard to earth. Her hands began to tremble as she gripped her unopened can unconsciously._

I don't want to be like my parents...

" _I-I..." she started. Realizing her voice was shaking, she huffed inwardly and put on a stone mask._

" _I'm sorry... But I can't accept your feelings."_

 _There, she said it. This way, she didn't have to fall deeper in love, thus she wouldn't walk in the same path as her parents'. She heaved a sigh, then braved herself to glance up at him._

 _His shocked and hurt-stricken face instantly made her heart drop. A chill ran down her spine, and she suddenly forgot how to breath normally._

 _He lowered his head, letting his bangs covered his face fully. Then, as soon as a blink of an eye, he lifted his head up again, the previous painful visage replaced with a smile._

" _Ah, I see... I'm sorry to tell you all those things so suddenly. You must be surprised," he uttered, forcing a laugh and failed miserably._

 _Kanade couldn't tear her gaze away from his pained expression. His usual warm smile was now appeared to be stiff and forced. His usual gentle eyes were now filled with a glint of hurt and disappointment._

" _Well, look at the time. I guess I should go now," he glanced at his watch then turned back to stare intently at her. He was hesitating for some moments, until he shook his head a little and smiled sadly._

" _Thanks for everything, Tachibana. I hope we'll meet again somewhere," with one last wave and heartbroken smile, he ran away, not even waiting for her reply._

 _She was still petrified at her spot, watching his retreating back in silence. There was a small voice inside telling her to call for him, yet even her vocal cord felt like it was frozen._

 _When finally she could feel her cold fingers back—still gripping her now-cold canned tea with zero interest in drinking it—he was totally out of her sight._

 _She raised her grip to cover her face. As she clenched the can tighter, the ache clenching her heart also became more tangible and it wouldn't go away no matter how hard she tried to shrug it off. His last expression burned into her brain, and soon she was full of fresh guilt and regret. She shut her eyes, hoping in vain that she could erase that painful face from her mind._

 _And just like that, her first love with the unnamed_ senpai _was over._

.

.

 _ **Present Time**_

 _ **Study Block B, Class 2-B**_

The sky was clear today, the weather was perfect with no signs of rain clouds at all. Summer was just around the corner, that means cultural festival was also coming closer.

"—de- _chan_..."

Her golden eyes watched as a group of birds flew in a unique formation. She wondered how many birds in that group, and where were they going.

 _Don't they feel dizzy flying nonstop all day?_

"—nade- _chan_..."

 _Oh, there's a cat walking on that railing._

She wondered how could it balanced so easily walking on such a narrow thing? She must be falling in her second step if she were in its position—

"Kanade- _chan_!"

She startled. Lifting her chin from its comfortable rest of her palm, she turned her head to see an annoyed Yuri, hands on her hips.

"Oh, Yuri. What's wrong?" she asked nonchalantly.

Yuri's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "YOU are exactly what's wrong. I've been calling you for a while, but you just ignored me and kept gazing out the windows. Are you really planning on skipping lunch?! May I remind you that you're a little too slim for a diet?!" she poked on the younger girl's forehead.

Kanade finally showed some life through her dumbfounded reaction. "Eh? It's already lunch?"

Yuri sighed at her reply, then gave her a worried look. The fact that Kanade wasn't even aware of lunch break meant that she had been daydreaming at least since the fourth period.

"You okay, Kanade- _chan_? You look pretty out of it," she took a seat on the chair in front of the questioned girl.

When Kanade didn't answer, Yuri pouted. She then chose to use the _curve ball_ since her direct approach failed.

"Come to think of it... Otonashi- _kun_ also looked a bit weird after he finished moving the instruments with the others yesterday," she threw the ball and studied Kanade's reaction. As expected, she caught the ball—proven by the way she flinched at the mention of a certain guy.

Yuri smirked triumphantly. "I knew it. Something _did_ happen between you two, didn't it? Aww, just be a sweetheart and spit it out."

Kanade looked down in defeat, then glanced up at her expectant friend. "Promise you won't scream after I tell you?"

She grinned. "My lips are sealed."

.

.

"EEEEH? HE WAS THAT BOY YOU ONCE FELL IN LO—"

Yuri's shout was cut off as Kanade quickly silenced her mouth with her hands. She looked around, their classmates just threw some odd looks at them before resuming their activities. She then released her hands from her friend.

"You promised you wouldn't scream after I told you," she said flatly, her stoic visage remained—but somehow Yuri sensed the sullen glare from the imaginary dark cloud around her.

"S-sorry. It just came out of reflex," she apologized sheepishly, then her face turned serious. "But is it true? That means Otonashi- _kun_ was your first love, right?"

Kanade looked away shyly at her question. "That was a long time ago. It's only a history now," she defended.

"I don't think so. The fact that he remembers all details about your style is really something, Kanade- _chan_ ," she assured.

 _Not to mention that he's really waiting for someone. It is clear now who the person he's been waiting for. But I'm not gonna tell her about it, though. Save the best part for his dessert._

"I know... I'm flattered that he still remembers me pretty well. But still..." there was a hint of guilt in her golden orbs, and Yuri grabbed her hands before she could fall deeper into her old burden.

"Just remember what I told you before, Kanade- _chan_. Whatever regret you had in your past, all you have to do is to be honest with your own feelings."

Kanade stared at her eyes, she could see confidence and sincerity in those emerald orbs. She closed hers, wishing that she might get a bit of her friend's confidence.

"Thank you, Yuri..."

.

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

"Then, tomorrow we will start announcing to every class about the rules and guidelines of participating in the cultural festival. Each class may contribute by applying any activities, e.g. a play, café, contest, etc. Our members will be divided into groups. The announcing group will work in pairs, while the other group will continue preparing the gymnasium," Kanade spoke in the end of the meeting, then eyeing the members of the student council around the tables.

"Yuri and Naoi- _kun_ , then Hisako- _san_ and Tadanobu- _kun_ , you are in the announcing team. The rest are in charge of the gym. Anyone objects?"

Everyone was shaking their head in approval or giving the thumbs up, until Yuri raised her hand.

"Wait a second, Pres. I have a better idea regarding the group division," she started.

When Kanade gestured her to continue, she went on, "Hisako- _san_ is good with music instruments, so I think she will be more needed at the gym. Furthermore, we need someone with more influence in the announcing team who can motivate the students into participating."

Seeing the blank expression of her president, Yuri grinned and then looked at the boy seated across from her. "That's why I assume Pres and Otonashi- _kun_ will be more suitable in the other announcing group."

Kanade was visibly surprised by her suggestion, while Otonashi more openly protested. "E-eh? Why me?" he pointed at himself.

"You're both popular among the students, aren't you? I'm sure they will be quite motivated to create splendid activities if you show up in their classes," she smiled innocently.

"I approve! Otonashi- _san_ will do a great job convincing the students! Everything he does is impressive!" Naoi exclaimed animatedly, while the others sweatdropped at his sudden excitement.

"Fine by me. In that case, I'll work with the gym group," Hisako agreed.

Yuri nodded triumphantly. " _Yosh_ , it is decided then!"

Their poor student council president seemed to lose her authority for the moment, being unable to object and forced to the option of agreeing with the idea.

Yuri watched as Kanade and Otonashi kept stealing glances at each other, only to look away instantly with a tint of blush on their cheeks.

She couldn't help but smirked imperceptibly, thinking that her plan was going smoothly.

.

.

 **To be Continued**


	7. Developing Feelings

**A/N: Hey guys! Fi here. Sorry for the long update, I was kinda busy with life... And a bit distracted by this amazing manga I keep reading. XD Hahaha. But anyways, here's the next chapter. Thank you for Sakura Idol, tehg2000, Winterabbit, RedSS, and Enilorac Eiram for your support. I'm so happy! XD. Well then, without further ado, hope you like this chapter guys!**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 7: Developing Feelings**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block B, Stairway**_

Otonashi checked the list in his hand, carefully reading it while stepping down slowly on the stairs. His other hand nonchalantly touched the handrail beside him without gripping on it properly.

"Let's see... That was a wrap with half of the 2nd grade. Yuri and Naoi will take care of the other half and the 3rd grade, so all that left for us is the 1st grade," he flipped the paper to the next page.

"You shouldn't be reading while walking down the stairs. It's dangerous," the girl beside him warned without even taking a glance at him.

The redhead boy smiled at her concern. "It's fine," he assured. Her frankness automatically reminded him of her old self he used to know before.

"Looks like you didn't change much, I think. Aside that your hair is much longer and that you're a reliable student council president now, you're still that same girl I've known from three years ago," he said, scratching his cheek.

She glanced up at his ashamed face, then looked back down at her feet. They had reached first floor and now they were walking down the hall towards the classrooms.

" _Senpai_ looks so different from before. That's why I didn't recognize you at once," she replied.

Indeed, he had grown much taller now, that her height barely even reached his shoulder. His hair was neatly trimmed, contrasted from his bad-guy image three years ago. Only his warm eyes and smile remained the same as ever.

 _Senpai looks more mature_.

She was only thinking to herself, definitely unable to say it out loud.

"You think so? Is it the bad kind of different?" he asked.

"It's nothing like that."

"Really? Heheh, I take that as a compliment then," he gave her a toothy grin.

That heartfelt smile delivered a warm feeling in her heart. She almost couldn't believe this very guy was the same person as _that_ boy. The boy with a forced smile who hid his broken heart, who sacrificed his hobby for his sister—

Suddenly she remembered the reason of their parting.

"I just remembered... _Senpai_ quit the guitar class because he had to take care of his sister," she swallowed, somewhat feeling uneasy by mentioning the past. But seemed like her curiosity won this time. "Is it fine... for you staying in this boarding school?"

At this, his smile vanished and he casted a vacant gaze. "Ah... Right. She passed away last year. She spent two years in the hospital, but unfortunately we couldn't save her."

Kanade's eyes widened, she realized she had chosen the wrong topic.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled, lowering her head in shame. But he shook his head understandingly.

"That's why I studied so hard to get a scholarship program to this school. I've decided to become a doctor, and Shinsen Academy has great recommendation for the students to get into well-known public universities. That way... Even if I couldn't save my sister, perhaps I can save more lives in the future," he told her.

She could see the determination in his eyes, and for some reason, she looked away quickly.

"By the way, Tachibana. You don't have to call me _senpai_ anymore, you know, now that we're in the same grade. I heard that you took an accel program, right? You're amazing," he glanced down and smiled at her.

"Eh? But..." she hesitated, but he cut in.

"Just call me Yuzuru. And... Can I call you by your given name, too? I thought about it the first time I found out your name... 'Kanade' means 'to play a tune', right? I like it, it suits you pretty well," he said softly.

A mild heat seeped into her cheeks, and she couldn't bring herself to look up at him as she answered.

"If you say so... Please do as you like."

Satisfied, he nodded. "Okay then, _Kanade_ ," he said with a broad smile.

Her heart stirred, and she held her folder closer to ease the tickling in her chest.

.

 _ **Main Dining Hall, Foodcourt**_

Yuri was scanning through the menu, considering what she should have for lunch. She finally decided on _omurice_ and started to stand in line when someone patted her shoulder.

"Yo, Yurippe. Already made your choice?" Hinata greeted, taking the place behind her in the line.

"Yeah. What will you have today, Hinata- _kun_?"

He thought for a moment. "I think I'll go with _niku udon_. I really need some mood booster now," he heaved a big sigh as if his soul was also blown out through his mouth.

She raised a brow. "What happened? You didn't do something idiot that embarrassed you again, did you?" she folded her arms in a judging manner. "I still remember how you humiliated yourself when you shouted in class 'there's a huge two-legged bamboo shoot walking across the fields' back in middle school."

"Like hell I did! That was _your_ crazy dare in the first place because I lost the bet!" he spat in embarrassment, while Yuri stifled a giggle.

He then scratched his head lazily. "It's about the cultural festival. My class wanted to form a band that will put on a show at the gym, and I'm so excited about it. We agreed the members will be Takamatsu, Matsushita- _godan_ , Fujimaki, and me. But we're lacking vocalist and rhythm guitarist," he explained.

"Can't you leave that position open and let one of you sing?"

"Nope. Takamatsu is good at keyboard, Matsushita- _godan_ at drums, Fujimaki at bass, and I'd say I'm okay with lead guitar. But none of us can sing, let alone at stage. Besides, we still need a rhythm guitar to complete the formation."

"Is there any other guy in your class who can do that?"

Hinata exhaled tiredly. "That's the root of the problem," he rolled his eyes, "Otonashi is the only one left in our class who is good with guitar, I heard he took guitar classes before. He also has the looks to be the star at stage, but sadly he refused right away."

Yuri spun her head in interest. "Oh, so he turned you down? No wonder you look so devastated," she giggled.

"IT'S NOT SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" he yelled indignantly, and Yuri laughed out loud.

"Hmm... I might say he's just a little nervous to be the center of attention," she murmured, ignoring Hinata's sullen glare. "Hey, why don't you ask him one more time?" she suggested.

"We asked several times already, and he rejected all of it. What's the difference?" he groaned.

She winked. "This time, ask him when Kanade- _chan_ is around. I think he only needs a little push."

Hinata just raised a brow at her, completely couldn't grasp her point.

.

 _ **Main Dining Hall Interior**_

"Kanade- _chan_! Sorry to make you wait!" the plum-haired girl approached her waiting friend, placing her tray on the table.

Kanade shook her head. "It's fine. I was about to start eating," she said with a little smile.

"I asked more people to join us today. The more, the merrier, right?" Yuri said after taking a seat across from her.

Kanade tipped her head to the side. She was about to ask but soon a loud voice answered her unspoken question.

"Yurippe, I brought him! Found him waiting in another line, so I dragged him here," Hinata walked towards their table, a confused Otonashi in tow. Yuri glared at his unnecessary remark.

Otonashi's face brightened as he noticed the silver-haired girl, then setting down his tray next to hers.

"Yo, Kanade. Let's have lunch together today," he greeted, followed by a nod from the said girl. She then turned to the other boy questioningly.

"Ah, I believe you haven't properly met this one. This is Hinata Hideki- _kun_ , one of my buddies from middle school. He's an idiot so please bear with him. A kind-type idiot, though, so no worries," Yuri gestured at the boy sitting next to her.

"Nice to meet you, Kanade- _cha_ —hey, wait! That's not how you should introduce your friend!" he paused his greeting to Kanade midway and protested to the smirking girl beside him.

"Why are you so angry? I'm just telling the truth," she replied nonchalantly, causing more groans came from the poor boy.

Kanade blinked at the scene before her eyes. What a unique friendship they shared there.

"Quite lively here, don't you think?" Otonashi chuckled from beside her. She glanced up at him and nodded.

"Uhm. But this is nice," she replied. She then scooped her Mapo tofu and began to eat calmly.

Otonashi shuddered just by a single glance at her food. "Mapo tofu...? Are you okay with just eating that? That looks too spicy without rice," he commented.

She swallowed and answered, "not at all. It's delicious," before putting another spoonful into her mouth.

He gulped, wondering whether her tongue had gone numb for being able to eat such spicy food leisurely.

"Oh yeah, Kanade- _chan_ , Hitomi and I discussed about our class' event for cultural festival while you were out this morning. She suggested a _ramen_ food stall, what do you think?"

"Food stall? Fine by me. I'll get the application form for us," she agreed, "but we won't be able to help them serving at the stall, Yuri. We'll have so much to do on D-day as student council."

Now that Yuri had steered the topic into the right way, Hinata got his chance to act.

"Speaking of which, Otonashi! Why don't you think about it once more? Please join our band as representatives of class 2-A!" he pleaded, clasping both of his hands in front of his face.

Kanade looked up from her dish. "Your class is forming a band?" she asked him.

"Yeah! Naoi already has our application form. We're still lacking a vocalist and rhythm guitarist though... This guy here has all the criteria, but sadly he's too shy to join us," Hinata answered, nodding towards Otonashi who casted him a bored look.

"That again? I've told you, you got the wrong idea about me. I can't pla—"

"Yuzuru is very good at playing guitar," Kanade interrupted out of the blue. The shocked Otonashi whipped his head at her direction, his eyes went round in disbelief.

Hinata beamed at her intervention. "I know, right? See, Otonashi! Just join us already!"

Otonashi was about to lose his cool. "No, no, that's not true! I certainly can't sing—"

"Yuzuru has a really great voice, actually," Kanade interrupted again, causing the said boy to fluster.

"Kanade! Why did you say that?" he chided, while she just tilted her head confusedly.

"'Why'...? You did sing pretty well back at the music school, I remember that quite clearly," she answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That's not the problem, you know..." he groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. "Why should I be put on vocal _and_ rhythm guitar position?"

"Because a vocalist will get more impact if he's also on guitar!" Hinata answered easily. "C'mon, man, do it for your class! Pretty please, with cherry on top?"

Otonashi rolled his eyes. "I'm allergic to cherries," he then started to hesitate. "Look, even if I want to join, I really can't. Just like Kanade said, I also have many things to do as student council."

Hinata caught his point and hung his head in defeat. He was about to give up when Kanade suddenly spoke.

"I can help you with that."

All wide eyes were now on her. "I'll take care of your task, so don't worry about it. You should take part in your class' performance," she added.

Otonashi stared at her, astonished. For a second he caught a small hint of twinkle in her big, cat-like innocent eyes.

He sighed. "You just wanna see me on stage, don't you..." he murmured.

He turned towards Hinata, and let out a final sigh. "Okay, then! I'm in," he gave up.

Hinata was ecstatic. He grabbed Otonashi's hand and thanked him over and over again, while the latter frantically wriggling out from his grip.

"But are you really okay with this? You're already loaded with responsibilities as the president, you know," Otonashi asked Kanade in concern.

"I'll help with her share, no sweat. And don't forget she has Naoi- _kun_ as her right hand. That boy would certainly do anything just to see you on stage. You just focus on the band," Yuri engaged. He threw her an 'are-you-serious' look, which she replied with a confident smile, using her thumb and pointer to form an 'OK' sign.

He finally slouched in his seat. "Fine then. But don't blame me if I mess with the harmony."

Hinata cheerily glanced at Yuri who glanced back at him. They exchanged the thumbs up silently.

.

 _ **Study Blocks—Inner Garden**_

A tall boy was walking lazily, his face all crumpled. His uniform looked a bit dishevelled with his tie hung loose around his neck, his blazer unbuttoned, and his shirt wasn't tucked inside his pants.

"Geez, those guys really could make my head spins like crazy. Just showing off their skills and playing random songs won't take us anywhere—we really should decide which song we'll play at stage in the first place. When will they stop the randomness, for Heaven's sake?" he brushed his ginger hair with his fingers.

The lack of caffeine supply made him suddenly crave for some Key Coffee. He recalled there's a nearest vending machine in the building, so he turned towards the connecting corridor. Fate must be making fun at him today that as soon as he took the first step on the marble floor, he slipped and fell flat on the hard surface.

"Oooww, that hurts! What the hell—" he rubbed his aching butt as he squinted at the particular spot where his stepped on, and indeed, there was spill of water on the floor.

He groaned at his misfortune.

"To think that someone spilt their drink here and I took one out of 10.000 probability of stepping right on it... How _lucky_ I am," he grumbled sarcastically.

He looked around, there was no one in sight. He pulled himself to the side and leaned on a nearby marble column, ignoring his initial plan to buy his favorite coffee. The pain in his butt just made him too lazy to stand.

 _I guess just sitting here and enjoying the breeze is enough to calm my nerves._

He pulled out his phone and started to scroll down through his playlist, looking for any song suitable to be played with his band.

 _This one is too hard. This one is too slow. This one is instrumental. This one is boyband song—wait, why do I have this song in the first place?!_

He frowned as he couldn't find anything useful. On the contrary, the more he browsed into his playlist, the more he got irritated.

"Yuzuru?"

The grumpy boy looked up at his caller, and magically his bad mood dissipated at once as a certain silver-haired girl came into his sight.

"Shouldn't you be practicing at the gym?" the girl asked again.

He scratched his head. "Yeah, I was there. I was a bit stressed so I took a stroll around the school. I'm just starting to cool down here," he answered.

Her emotionless eyes softened a bit. "Must be tiring... I'll go somewhere and let you relax by yourself, then," she started to turn her heels.

"Wait! Don't go," he exclaimed quickly, and soon he was embarrassed by his own outburst. "Err, I mean... I don't mind with you being here," he corrected.

She halted, then turned her feet back in his direction. "Oh."

The silence was too awkward so he decided to ask her. "Um... Where have you been, Kanade?" he tried to calm his sudden nervousness.

"I just finished weeding the flowerbed," she replied.

Yuzuru smiled. "Oh, right. You like to tend the garden in your free time," he said. He remembered her passion in gardening, which he found as another cute side of her.

Kanade nodded, then walked closer to him. He moved a little to the side, giving some space for her to sit down beside him—until he remembered something crucial.

"Kanade, careful! That spot is—"

"Ah!"

Too late, she already slipped on that very same spot and fell forward into his arms.

"—slippery..." he finished under his breath. He mentally slapped himself at his late warning.

He was subsequently aware of their position at the moment. Her small body flushed against his chest, his arms securely wrapped around her. He blushed, this was his first time being this close with her. However, he felt something was off with her being still... _Too_ still.

He braved himself glancing down at her face, and his shyness instantly vanished.

Her face was pale, and there was a distant gaze in her wide eyes—as if she was staring far away, at nowhere.

 _It almost looks like her soul is not inside her body_.

He hesitantly patted her shoulder. "Kanade...? Are you hurt somewhere?" he asked worriedly.

She flinched at the light touch, and instinctively pushed him away. "Don't!" she shrieked.

Her sudden move shocked him, but what he saw next even pained him more.

"No... Please... Don't touch me anymore..." she curled up, her trembling arms covering her face.

Yuzuru's heart stung at the sight, his mind automatically brought him back to the memory three years ago when she rejected him.

 _Do you hate me so much to the point that I disgust you...?_

He was about to swallow the bitter lump in his throat. However, he noticed there's something odd with the way she cowered in fear. From her previous distant gaze, to her eyes that were now tightly shut. Then realization hit him. She didn't afraid of what's _before_ her eyes—it seemed as if she was frightened by something—or maybe _someone_ —else she probably saw inside her mind.

He cautiously grabbed her wrists, pulling them away from her face. She freaked out.

"No, let me go—"

"Kanade, calm down," he soothed, but she tried to squirm out of his grasp in panic.

"Kanade! Look at me!" he yelled. She startled, then opened her eyes, finally regaining her senses. "It's me," he said softly.

Her gaze slowly made its way to his concerned face. "Yuzuru..." she whispered shakily, as if trying to convince herself rather than to call him. "You are... Yuzuru..."

Seeing her golden eyes were on the verge of tears, he pulled her small frame into his arms again, running his fingers through her silky hair that reached her waist.

"Yeah," he sighed, "it's me. It's just me," he breathed in her sweet scent, caressing her back gently to soothe her.

She didn't repulse him this time. To his surprise, her trembling subsided and finally he felt her hands weakly gripped his blazer covering his back.

There were so many questions running in his head, but he just shrugged it away for now. This time, he only wanted to keep this girl in his embrace, wordlessly assuring her that he was there, to let her know that she was safe in his arms.

.

 _ **Gymnasium**_

Balancing the cardboard boxes in her hands, Yuri walked carefully towards the storeroom. Once inside, she put the boxes down and stacked them on top of other cardboards she already put beside the shelf on the far left side. Satisfied with her work, she huffed and exited the room.

She's only three steps away from the storeroom and was barely stretching her arms when Naoi approached her, another smaller box in his arms.

"Nakamura- _san_! You're free, aren't you? Please help to hang this banner above the stage. I have another errands to take care of," he asked in a rush.

"What? I'm just finished with my work!" she protested, but Naoi ignored her and handed it over into her arms.

"I promise it will be done in no time, it's only a simple task, anyway. You just have to hang it there," he pointed at the ceiling above the stage, and Yuri's mouth hung open.

"'Simple task' my ass! That's definitely not the kind of task you can ask to a girl! How can you call yourself a man?!" she protested.

Naoi simply shrugged. "I'm not calling myself a man, I am vice-president. You could also call me god if you want," he grinned—or rather, in Yuri's perspective—smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, you're god— _god_ damn annoying. Take this box back!" grumbled Yuri, shoving her arms in his direction.

"If you're that unwilling, I'll treat you some sweets later."

"Do you think you can bribe me with some cheap treats?! Hey, do it yourself!" she fumed, but the boy was already turning away.

"Thank you for your help," he leisurely waved his hand and walked towards the gym's entrance.

"I'M NOT HELPING YOU! HOLD IT, YOU UNRESPONSIBLE VICE-PRES!"

Realizing her complaints were useless, she sighed and grudgingly carried the box up to the stage.

.

.

"Just a bit mooore..." she groaned from her gritted teeth, stretching up her arm as high as she could to reach the hook on the far high wall, just a couple of meters away from the ceiling. Tiptoeing on a stool didn't help much despite her height.

 _Damn, this is why he shouldn't ask a girl to do this kind of work!_

She was about to give up when another stool was placed beside hers. Her peripheral vision caught presence of a tall guy who then took the banner from her outstretched hand.

"Let me do it for you. You just have to hang it on that hook, right?" her savior said, surprising her.

"Otonashi- _kun_!"

The boy smiled, tiptoeing a bit and put the banner on the hook effortlessly. He hopped down then dragged his stool to the spot under the next hook.

"This is a man's job, actually. At least you need a ladder to reach the hooks, but I don't think you'll be comfortable enough climbing a ladder in a skirt," he chuckled.

Yuri's face flushed in annoyance. "Save that for our stupid, _honorable_ vice-president," she then looked up at him curiously. "By the way, why are you here, Otonashi- _kun_? Don't you have a meeting with your band?"

He just hooked the next part of the banner and was moving on to the last hook. "Oh, that. Yeah, it was done. We only discussed on which song we should choose."

"So? Have you guys decided?"

Otonashi hopped down from his stool then shrugged. "We're still running in circles. Each of us has different preferences, so we have yet to reach an agreement," he ruffled his hair tiredly, "still a long way to go, I think."

Yuri cupped her chin. "The cultural festival is due in the next month. We don't have much time... Should we ask Kanade- _chan_ for some advice? Ah, no. She's more into classical, though she knows a lot about music... Then Hisako- _san_ , perhaps?"

The boy turned his head at the mention of the former. Noticing his change of expression, she raised an eyebrow at him. "What's wrong?"

He glanced around uncertainly. He was reluctant at first, but then decided to give it a go.

"Uhm... you know, actually there's something I want to ask you. About Kanade," he finally looked straight at her curious eyes.

"Is something wrong with her?" she couldn't help but felt a bit worried.

He scratched his cheek. "Truth is... She was acting weird in my arms yesterday, and I was worried."

Yuri gaped at him.

"Oh my. You've already gone that far?"

He flustered. "T-that's not it! We fell, that's all! It was an accident!" he panted, then back to serious tone after feeling his heart had calmed down. "Then... She's suddenly frightened, as if I pushed on the wrong button. I might be wrong but it seemed like she was reminded of something terrible."

She didn't give a reply. Of course she could figure out what happened, obviously that triggered Kanade's trauma. Unfortunately she couldn't tell him about her past—she didn't have the right to easily share other person's privacy, no matter how much he wanted to know.

 _Besides, I don't think Kanade-_ chan _wants HIM, of other people, to find out about her past in the first place._

"I wanted to ask her, but I decided not to. I think it's better if I ask you instead. You're the one closest to her, after all," he said again.

Yuri closed her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I also can't tell you anything other than that you made a good decision by not questioning her. It wouldn't get her any better," she uttered.

His shoulders drooped a little.

"I see. I know that's not something good, and I'm concerned about her. She calmed down right away, but still—"

"Wait. You were able to calm her down?" she interrupted. He threw her a confused look.

"Well, yeah. Why?"

Yuri frowned. "Now that's new... Usually when she's in that state, she even doesn't want me to touch her," she said in deep thought.

 _Come to think of it... This is Otonashi-_ kun _we're talking about. He may plays a tremendous role in her life, thus it's entirely possible for him being the one who will save her._

She looked straight into his eyes. "Otonashi- _kun_ , what I can say right now is that Kanade- _chan_ isn't really as tough as how she looks. If you care about her, then show her unconditionally. Don't just act sweet out of curiosity then stop halfway, or you would only hurt her," she warned him.

"Uh... Sure..." he was astonished by her sincerity that he commented, "you really care for her, huh..."

She was a bit startled, then gazed down at her feet solemnly.

"Of course. She trusts me to the point that she's willing to share her story with me, so I just want her to be happy. She has been carrying the burden all by herself, and that's precisely why I want to save her. I don't want her to carry those memories forever," she uttered earnestly.

"I believe she will find the right person who will set her free from despair. If they're already tied together by the Red String of Fate, then it's my role to make sure the string isn't tangled," she grinned, lifting her pinkie playfully.

Otonashi was stunned by her words. "Red String..."

He rubbed his ginger hair, giggling lightly. "You're really something, you know that?" he patted on her head, throwing a heartily smile that made his burgundy eyes squint. "Kanade must be feeling so lucky to have you, who think so much about her, as her best friend."

Her heart skipped a beat before starting to race inside her chest.

 _Eh...?_

" _Yosh_ , work is done. Let's get these stools back to the storeroom," he took the stools on both hands and leaped down from the stage.

Instead of following him, Yuri was still glued at her spot, wide-eyed. She felt warmth seeped into her cheeks, and she touched them bemusedly.

 _Eh? Eh? What's happening to me?!"_

.

.

 **To be Continued**


	8. Secret Crush

**A/N: Oh my God, it's been a while. I know, I know, I'm sorry. I was moving out and it's kinda busy in the new city. But I promise I will finish this fic. This story means so much for me, so there's no way I would leave it discontinued. XD Thank you for RedSS, Enilorac Eiram, and Guest (hi, thanks! I'll do my best! XD) for leaving reviews. Also big thanks for following and faving thia story! This chapter is short though, focusing on Yuri dealing with her newfound feelings. Well, on with the story!**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Red Thread (Akaito) belongs to mikitoP**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

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 **Chapter 8: Secret Crush**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block A, Student Council Office**_

"That's all for today's meeting. Good afternoon."

The room soon was filled with little chit-chats as everyone started to pack their things. It didn't take long until the council members say goodbye to their president and left one by one. When there were only four members remained, the room fell into silence again. Yuzuru was the first to make a sound by letting out a yawn, before placing his face down on the desk tiredly.

"You look exhausted, Otonashi- _san_. Why don't you go get some rest in your dorm?" Naoi said in concern. Yuzuru responded by groaning something incoherent, too lazy to lift his head.

"Can't do. I have rehearsal after this. Hinata and the others must be waiting for me," he mumbled after turning his head to the side so he could speak normally.

"You also have rehearsal today? But you helped us with preparations earlier before meeting. Aren't you being a bit too busy lately?" Yuri commented, looking up from her meeting report.

He gave her a hollow laugh. "It can't be helped, can it? Cultural festival is coming near anyways. Everyone in school's hectic with preparations as well."

"But looks like you've got a lot on your plate already. Student council members usually don't participate in their class' event, yet you do," Kanade's soft voice caused Yuzuru to lift his head from the desk and looked at her. "I think you shouldn't be taking part in student council activities for the time being. You have to focus more on your band."

He hesitated. "Eh... I can't do that. I'm still a student council member, after all—"

"A student council member aside, you're still a human," Kanade cut him off, "I don't want you to bite off more than you can chew. If you collapse because of the fatigue, you won't do any good for neither student council nor your class."

Yuzuru was taken aback by her emphatic remark. She didn't usually speak in that tone, and the fact that she did made him feel somewhat flattered.

 _That means she cares about my well being, no?_

He blushed at his overconfident idea. "Uhm... Okay, if you say so... Thanks," he shook away his shyness and began packing his things. "Well, I have to get going."

"Speaking of which, how is your band going, Otonashi- _san_? Everything's good?" Naoi beamed.

"Yeah, pretty much. It was a pain in the ass in the beginning, but somehow we finally agreed on playing the song I chose," he then turned to the purple-haired girl, "it's all thanks to you, Yuri."

The girl jumped slightly at the mention of her name. "E-eh? Why me?"

"You gave me inspirations back then. Perhaps you didn't realize it yourself, but thanks. Otherwise, we should be still drawing a blank," he smiled gratefully at her.

Her cheeks reddened against her will. "I-I-I didn't do anything, really! Don't thank me for something unclear like that!" flustered Yuri.

Naoi snorted at her unusual behavior. "My, my, looks like summer's temptation is starting to affect Nakamura- _san_ 's lonely heart as well. May I suggest to disallow this weird girl from student council activities, too? It won't do us any good with you slacking off in our meeting, after all," he teased with a smirk, while Yuri's blush deepened as she glared menacingly at the boy.

"I'm NOT slacking off! Moreover, s-su-summer temptation..." she stuttered, her blush deepened. "Gah, more importantly, I don't need to be told by the likes of you!" she snapped, pointing her finger at the vice-president.

"What do you mean by 'the likes of me', miss?! And may I remind you that pointing is rude?!" he chided, and she mocked him by sticking her tongue out at him.

She harrumphed, and as she turned her face away from him, her eyes accidentally met Kanade's curious gaze.

Yuri felt her heart froze and instantly looked away in shame.

 _Wait... Why did I look away? It doesn't like she will misunderstand us, right? There's nothing between Otonashi-_ kun _and me... Right...?_

Kanade tilted her head innocently.

.

 _ **Gymnasium**_

The sound of live music echoed in the spacious hall. The lack of microphone caused the vocalist's voice to be engulfed by the noise, but they didn't mind it at all. Anyhow, their vocalist wasn't the confident one to begin with.

The drums suddenly missed a beat which lead the entire band to lose their rhythm.

"Whoops, my bad. I should learn that part more," Matsushita apologized sheepishly.

"No problem. Okay, break time for fifteen minutes, then," Yuzuru suggested. Other members agreed and stretched simultaneously.

He put down his guitar and was about to wipe his sweat from his forehead when his eyes caught a silver-haired girl stood by the gym's entrance, watching the stage. He threw a smile and waved at the girl.

.

 _ **Main Dining Hall—Front**_

Yuzuru downed his Key Coffee greedily, sighing in content as he emptied his can. He then glanced at the girl sitting beside him who was taking a sip from her can slowly.

"I didn't notice you coming to our practice. Did we disturb you for being too loud?"

Kanade shook her head. "Not at all. I happened to be there to get some things from the storeroom, but your practice caught my attention. I was so curious... and ended up watching without me realizing it myself."

He tilted his head. "What made you curious?"

She looked up at him with her innocent eyes. "Only the music could be heard... I couldn't hear your voice. I wanted to hear it."

At her answer, his cheeks flushed. "A-ah, that was my condition when I joined their band. I'm too shy to sing with them, I always train my vocal in my room instead," he scratched his head.

Kanade blinked. "Were you bothered of being watched?"

Yuzuru immediately waved his hands. "No, absolutely not. You can watch as long you want," he said with a smile, "besides, I have to get used to be on stage. Maybe I'll start using a microphone when I'm ready."

"That song you played... What song was it?" she asked.

"Ah, that's the song I chose for them, 'Red Thread'," he answered, "this song came to my mind when Yuri talked about Red Strings of Fate. I suggested it to the others and fortunately they liked the idea. It's a beautiful song about a couple going separate ways because the girl wants to be an idol. They keep thinking about each other, living through hell of loneliness. But they never stop believing on Red Thread that binds them together in Fate," he explained.

"Red Thread..." Kanade murmured to herself. "I see..."

Yuzuru glanced down solemnly at her, then smiled as he turned his gaze back at the golden sky. "Hey, Kanade. Do you believe in fate?"

She looked at him in question, but his eyes were still fixated to the scenery before them.

"I do believe in it, honestly," he admitted without waiting for her reply, "I believe there's nothing coincidental in this life. Even every little thing happens because it is fate. That's why everything happened in our past might play a big role to guide us towards future."

Kanade jolted imperceptibly by the mention of the past. She unconsciously tightened her grip on her can of juice with her cold hands.

"For example, if I didn't get so devastated by my sister's death... I wouldn't have studied frantically to get into this school," he turned to threw a smile at her, "thus, I wouldn't be able to meet you again here."

She whipped her head back at him, her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"What I wanted to tell you is... Even our darkest experiences will eventually bring us some purpose in the future, don't you think? Because it was our past that had brought us here, and now we're bringing ourselves towards the future," his gentle eyes settled on her golden ones, delivering every meaning of his words through his gaze.

 _Even our darkest past... will bring some purpose..._

Letting out a light chuckle to loosen up the atmosphere, he stood up from the bench and tossed his empty can into a nearby wastebasket. "It's time for me to go back. Do you want to watch our practice again?"

Snapped from her reverie, she shook her head no. "I should help the others with decorations. I still have to get some things from the gym storeroom though..."

He nodded, subsequently holding out his hand in her direction. "Well, let's go then. I'll walk you to the gym," he offered with a smile.

She stared at his inviting hand, then moved to his grinning face, before going back to his open palm. Finally she took his hand, and he pulled her up to her feet. His grin widened as he started to walk alongside her towards the gym.

He braved himself and laced his fingers with hers. He'd expected for her to snatch her hand away—or even worse—but much to his surprise, she didn't pull away. His heart soared with delight to the point he had to turn his face away so that she couldn't see him trying to cover his grin like an idiot.

Little did he know that she was actually in the same boat. If only he looked down at her, he would notice the way her cheeks tinted pink as she tried to calm down the thumping of her heart.

 _Strange... I don't usually get this comfortable being in contacts with any guy. But after that day..._

She recalled the time when he comforted her in his warm embrace. Her eyes glanced down at their entwined fingers, feeling how big and strong his hand was around her small one.

 _Perhaps... If it is Yuzuru, perhaps..._

.

 _ **Gymnasium**_

A tired-looking girl was massaging her left shoulder as she dragged her feet towards the gym entrance. Her short-sleeved summer uniform shirt wasn't tucked inside her skirt, and it was as wrinkled as her pretty face.

"Geez, why do I have to go back to the gym storeroom to get the prop? It's almost time for meeting, they should ask somebody else to do the physical works instead."

Checking her wristwatch, she groaned, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Dear God, working in summer sure wears me out quickly..."

Right after she walked through the main entrance, the sound of live music perked her ears, causing her to peek in from the doors leading to gym's interior. Inside was a band consisting of five people rehearsing on stage. She was quite impressed by the way they play their instruments, but soon the word 'impressed' became an understatement when her eyes caught the vocalist that she couldn't avert her gaze elsewhere.

She couldn't hear his singing, yet his movements was enough to mesmerize her. His ginger hair moved along with his body, his fingers strummed the strings expertly. She didn't even realize her cheeks reddened at the sight—inwardly she thanked Hinata for choosing a perfectly suitable vocalist to be the star of the stage.

 _Otonashi-_ kun _..._

"Yuri...?"

The dazed girl jumped at the sudden call. She spun her head to see Kanade, her summer uniform neat as usual, her waist-length hair up in a ponytail. She smiled, silently admiring how her friend could still look so stunning even in these busy summer days.

"Oh, Kanade- _chan_. You startled me," she brushed her damp purple bangs aside.

"I come to pick you up since the meeting is about to start. No need to get the prop now, Naoi- _kun_ will take care of it later," she stated calmly as she approached her. She then spotted the object of Yuri's attention—the band practicing inside the gym. "Let's leave Yuzuru practicing with his band. The others are waiting for us."

Yuri instinctively flailed her hands in panic. "I-i-it's not like that! I wasn't watching him!"

When Kanade tipped her head inquisitively, Yuri mentally slapped herself at her unnecessary outburst. "They make such a development, don't they? They have improved so much over the past two weeks," she quickly changed the topic.

Kanade nodded in agreement, starting to walk towards the study blocks with Yuri in tow. "They sure have. I hope the performance will go smoothly on D-day."

"Right. The cultural festival will surely be a big event where our school hold an open house for public. Ah! Are you going to invite somebody to the festival, Kanade- _chan_?" she asked cheerfully, but then she remembered Kanade had no one outside this school. She suddenly regretted ever asking her.

"Not really..." Kanade answered in low voice.

Yuri should have predicted that answer. "I see," she looked up at the sky. Thanks to her question, the girl seemed a bit down. Now she felt bad for her friend.

 _Wait... Maybe if they come, I can ask Kanade-_ chan _to join us as well!_

Her face brightened as an idea popped in her mind. "I wonder whether my friends from middle school could come...? I missed them so much," she mumbled before grinning widely, "that's right! I'll invite them over so we can hold a little reunion here! You should join us as well, Kanade- _chan_!"

Kanade studied her friend's enthusiastic expression, then looked up in a thoughtful manner herself.

.

 _ **Study Block B Second Floor, Corridor**_

The sun was already setting outside when the student council meeting ended. Yuri let out a yawn as she walked down the corridor, fatigue all over her body. Despite her desire to plop down into her fluffy, comfy bed, she had to head back to her class to get her things first.

"Gosh, I'm beat. I really want to go back and call it a day... but no, it's still too early to start my beauty sleep," she glanced at her wristwatch and sighed.

"There's still some time before dinner. I guess I'll just get some rest in the class before heading to cafeteria," she mumbled, rubbing her tired eyes.

She nonchalantly looked around, until something caught in her eyes made her halt her step. She had not arrived at her classroom, yet—in fact, it was right next to hers, class 2-A. There was a glimpse of a lone figure inside the classroom, and somehow, her tiredness was swept away and she almost forgot that her objective was to get her things in her class.

 _Maybe my things can wait for a bit. They won't go anywhere, though._

Her feet were glued to the spot, eyes locked in the direction of the only figure inside the classroom. When curiosity struck, she approached the opened door and the sight came out more clearly, confirming her initial guess of the figure being Yuzuru sleeping on his desk.

The blinding scenery of setting sun from the windows with Yuzuru's silhouette was so breath-taking that Yuri's feet began to unconsciously moved further into the empty classroom. She was soon standing beside his desk, staring at his sleeping face silently.

 _To be falling asleep in such place... No kidding, he must be pretty exhausted. Well, I guess it can't be helped, huh? He really gives his best effort for his class._

She studied his feature—how his head rested comfortably on the desk, his folded arms used as a pillow. His body slouched down from his chair, and Yuri was worried that he would have a back pain when he woke up.

She finally settled her gaze on his peaceful face, so intently that even the steady rise and fall of his shoulders didn't miss from her peripheral vision. The ray of sunset complimented his ginger hair perfectly, making his image almost looked... _ethereal_.

"Even though you stubbornly refused to join the band in the beginning, it turns out you don't hold yourself at all with practicing for the sake of your friends. Looks like you only put on a hard shell, but inside, you just don't want to disappoint the people you care about, huh?" she said barely in whisper, as if she was talking to herself. A part of her was worried he could hear it, but on the contrary, another part wanted him to hear instead.

"My, just be honest for once, you silly," she leaned down to get a better look at his face. He was seemingly too deep in his slumber to be aware of her close presence.

Her eyes softened at his innocent, yet elegant and angular visage. As if there was an invisible force between, her hand moved on its own to his bangs, brushing the soft hair with her feathery touch. An amused grin curled on her lips at his unchanged expression, before it turned into a bitter smile.

"Correction... _I_ am the silly one here."

.

 _ **Girls' Dorm, Yuri's Room**_

"Heeeeh? The gang already have plans on the festival day? No waaay~~!" Yuri moaned, throwing her phone on her fluffy pillow. She laid dejectedly on the bed and threw a disappointed gaze at the ceiling.

"Too bad... I'm really looking forward to play with everyone that day. I want them to meet Kanade- _chan_ and Otonashi- _kun_ , too..."

Her gaze turned solemn as she thought about her two friends. She cared about them both—it was a fact. Kanade was like her own little sister. She's cute and despite her distant exterior, she truly held kind and innocent personality inside. Yuri was often fascinated to care for her just like when she took care of her siblings, and she always motivated herself to make her get the happiness she couldn't have in her past.

And then came Otonashi Yuzuru, the transfer student with outstanding personality. Charming, kind, sometimes acted uncaring and ignorant—but he truly cared and always gave his best effort not to disappoint his friends. He seemed to always have a soft spot for Kanade, and she knew Kanade also felt the same. That's why she thought he was the right man that could save Kanade from the confinement of her bitter memories.

She always believed so... Yet, Yuri had to admit that she couldn't help falling into his charms as well.

She knew how ridiculous the situation was, to have a crush on the person she had been matchmaking with her friend—and to add sugar on top, he _was_ her friend's _very_ first love. Didn't it make her look like a traitor?

 _Somehow I feel like I'm being a hypocritical villain here... I always feel bad every time I see Kanade-_ chan _'s innocent face._

A knock on her door brought her train of thought into a screeching halt. She hurriedly got up from her bed and made a beeline towards the door, silently wondering who might be visiting this late.

She opened her door to reveal Kanade in a cute flowery pajamas. Slightly taken aback by the sudden appearance of the _very_ person inside her dilemma, Yuri tried her best to hide her panic—albeit it came out poorly.

"K-Kanade- _chan_? Why are you visiting me at this hour?"

Damn. _Why did I stutter?!_

Unaffected by her fidgets, Kanade held out her hand and showed a small device on her palm. "I want to give this back to you. You left your flash drive in the office after meeting," she said emotionlessly.

Yuri blinked, staring dumbly at the device for some moments, before taking it from her hand and chuckled lightly. "Oh, my bad. Thanks, Kanade- _chan_. You don't have to go to the bother of delivering it here, you know. You can give it to me tomorrow at school," she smiled gratefully.

"I was planning to give it back to you after today's meeting, but the—" she suddenly stopped, her eyes quickly darted towards her feet.

Somehow Yuri felt her fingertips turned cold and uncomfortable by her friend's odd behavior. However, as the petite girl raised her head, she showed those innocent big eyes back.

"I thought it was important so I should give it back to you now, just in case you want to use it tonight," she stated flatly, and Yuri's nervousness calmed down to some extent.

"Oh, I see. Thank you again, anyways," she replied. Kanade nodded.

"Well, good night," she greeted before turning her heels to leave.

Yuri greeted her back and inwardly sighed in relief. She was about to close her door when Kanade paused, then spoke in a low voice.

"You know, Yuri..."

Her face held an unreadable expression as she turned to look at her. There was apparently a question hidden beneath her golden eyes, and Yuri's uneasiness instantly increased tenfold.

She silently prepared herself for the worst.

But then Kanade blinked, and those glints were gone just like that.

"Sleep well. You must be tired these days, I don't want you to get sick," she said with a thin smile, before resuming to walk away.

Yuri was petrified for some moments before finally entering her room. She quietly closed the door behind her and leaned her back on it, only then did she realize her knees were shaking. She slumped down onto the floor slowly.

 _What if she found out about my feelings? No, calm down... Even if she does know, she won't do anything to stand in my way, will she...? She has yet to admit that she also likes Otonashi-_ kun _, after all..._

Startled, Yuri immediately shook her head furiously. She couldn't believe herself thinking such a horrible idea. There was no way she would tear apart their friendship for something so shallow-minded.

"No... I can't do it to Kanade- _chan_ ," she used her trembling hands to cover her face, "I can't do it to my own best friend..."

Kanade's last meaningful look made her feel even guiltier. Knowing her usual innocent and oblivious nature, Yuri tried to convince herself that she was just overthinking things. She could casually assume that Kanade wouldn't realize her secret crush on Otonashi. She was the type who would only know if somebody told her, anyhow.

However... it still felt wrong. Awfully wrong. How could she keep this secret from Kanade, while on the contrary Kanade always trusted her and cared for her well-being all this time?

Her heart ached painfully, a drop of tear fell against her will and she wiped it off roughly. As she reopened her eyes, all doubts were gone and a new determination now filled her emerald eyes.

"I must forget these feelings. I don't want a stupid little crush to ruin our friendship," she sighed, gazing up at the ceiling. "That's right... Otonashi- _kun_ is a very kind and good-looking guy. That's why he becomes popular so quickly... And I'm just one of those people getting swayed by his charm. This is definitely not love."

 _This is nothing compared to how they see each other._

She felt fresh tears flooded out of her eyes, and she hurriedly brushed them off. "W-what's this? There's no way I can cry over this petty thing! I just want them to be happy, so I should be happy for them, too!" she grumbled, angrily wiping her eyes every time her tears fell unwillingly.

That night, Yuri spent her time battling with her mind, trying in a desperate attempt to forget her first crush.

.

.

 **To be Continued**

 **.**

 **A/N: Anyone recognized the title of the song Otonashi's band is playing? It's my favorite, it's called 'Akaito' by mikitoP ft. Hatsune Miku. One of its covers was sung by Rib, and that was the one giving me the inspiration of Otonashi singing in a band. I suggest you to check it out, it's wonderful. XD**


	9. Unexpected Meeting

**A/N: Hi again, guys! Here is another chapter of Hatsukoi. Another short chapter, but we are nearing the climax of the story since we are entering the cultural festival (well, I wouldn't really call it climax since it's just drama, but... Oh, well XD). Big thanks for Enilorac Eiram, RedSS, AgentJKL, Thnh An Phm, and all of my readers for your supports! XD On with the story!**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Real Life AU, OOC, Cliche, Typo(s)**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 9: Unexpected Meeting**

 **.**

 _ **Study Block A, Main Hall**_

Three weeks had passed with each day always filled with work and rehearsals. For all students who were preparing for the cultural festival, it was the longest three weeks of their lives. And before they knew it, the awaited day now finally arrived.

Everybody could feel the hype from every corner of the campus, now filled with various stalls and decorations from the events held by every class. Some students also could be seen carrying huge costumes for their play.

Behind all the creative events, the student council was in charge of keeping everything on track. They were also fully responsible of the special event that would be held in the gymnasium. The big and spacious hall would be the stage of various performances like concerts, plays, dances, et cetera. With so much to do throughout the big day, a simple briefing in the morning was a must before they could disperse to respective posts.

"So Naoi- _kun_ and Hisako- _san_ , please coordinate with your team and make sure everything for the special event are ready. I entrust anything related to the event to you guys. Yuri and I will focus on patrolling through the stalls. The others are to standby at respective posts, and please contact immediately if you need more hand at your post. As for the closing ceremony, we will be start preparing at 5 p.m. That's all. Let's do our best," Kanade dismissed the briefing, and the crew began to disperse.

Yuri watched her fellow members walking out of the building, then began stretching her arms as if doing warm-ups before exercising.

"This is it. Ready or not, D-day has come to you. We've put our biggest efforts to make this happen, let's work hard today too, Kanade- _chan_! Where do you want to start?" she turned to find the younger girl who was focusing on her phone.

Kanade glanced up at her after she finished typing on her phone. "Ah, yeah. I want to check on the gym first before I start patrolling. Yuri can start on first grade's section right away," she replied, putting her pink phone back into her pocket.

"Roger that."

"Oooi! Yurippe!"

Yuri spotted a grinning Hinata approaching, along with Yuzuru waving his hand beside him.

"Hinata- _kun_ , Otonashi- _kun_! Getting prepared for the performance? Where are Takamatsu- _kun_ and the others?" she greeted them cheerfully. Hinata scratched his head, an anxious smile—or rather, a cringe—formed on his face.

"Yeah, they're already at the gym. I don't understand how they can get all the hype while I'm being a nervous wreck here. I did fine on rehearsals, but seeing the actual stage on D-day seems to turn my bones into toilet paper," he replied, chuckling nervously.

Yuri rolled her eyes. "What's with the sudden stage fright? You were the one kept on persuading Otonashi- _kun_ to join your band, but look at him now. He appears to be just fine," she nodded towards the redhead who was talking casually with Kanade.

Hinata gave a little pout. "Please don't compare me with him. That guy certainly holds a hidden talent to become a star."

Meanwhile, the said guy was giving his report to the president, completely oblivious with his friends' talk in the background.

"Kanade, the band from class 2-A will perform after lunchtime. We'll be getting ready for dress rehearsal with other performers after this," he said, handing her the rundown of the special event. She took it and read it carefully.

"Hmm. This rundown has some updates to it, you can ask Naoi- _kun_ or Hisako- _san_ for the final version. They are the PIC of the gym. Your performance schedule wasn't changed, though, but just in case you need the whole rundown," she explained, giving him his rundown back.

"Oh, is that so? Fine then," he frowned at the papers. "Geez, I didn't attend meetings so I missed these updates. Sorry," he uttered apologetically.

She shook her head. "Don't mention it. It's our fault to make some changes in the last minutes, no wonder you're not informed yet. Moreover, you can just focus on the band. Yuri and I will cover your place in patrolling team," she assured him, and he smiled gratefully.

"Thanks. Uhm, there's something else actually..." Yuzuru glanced around nervously, while Kanade stared at him in question. "Umm... Will you see us perform? I know you're busy, but could you take some time for us...?" he rubbed the back of his neck.

Kanade gazed at his slightly flushed face for a while, before heat seeped into her own cheeks and she looked down quickly.

"If you want me to... Then I will," she answered eventually.

His face brightened. "Really? It's a promise then, 'kay?"

She nodded, refusing to meet his eyes.

They were too drawn inside their almost blinding atmosphere that they totally forgot about their spectators.

Hinata smirked and stepped closer to the other girl watching the whole scene.

"Just look at them. Don't they look good together?" he whispered, "it sucks that we're just merely annoying mosquitoes here," he joked.

Yuri stared at the two and smiled gently. "Yeah... They sure do," she replied sincerely.

 _That's right... This is the best for them. If I continued to act normally around Otonashi-_ kun _like this past three weeks, I'll slowly get used to this. And surely, I'll be able to move on from him completely. They're too precious for me... How can I selfishly take that happiness from them...?_

She studied the shy expression on their faces—or more likely on Yuzuru's, since the other somehow still managed to keep her straight face despite her pink-tinted cheeks. There was still a slight pang of melancholy in her chest, but she silently shrugged it away.

 _Someday, I'll be able to stand next to you without wanting to hold your hand. I believe the time will come before I even realize it._

A disappointed, almost exaggerated sigh from Hinata suddenly brought her back from her reverie. "But it's a pity the gang can't make it today, huh? I really wish everyone could see our live and had fun here. it's a special day, after all," he whined.

Yuri blinked, somehow his words perked something inside of her.

 _Special? Wait... why do I feel like I've missed something crucial? Like something's nagging inside..._ She propped her chin with her index finger and looked up, as if the answer would pop out from the ceiling, yet nothing came in her mind.

 _What was it again...?_

.

 _ **Study Blocks, Connecting Corridor**_

"Nakamura, you don't take a break?"

Yuri looked up from her checklist and greeted by a fellow student council member.

"Ah, you go on ahead. I forgot to do something, so I need to re-visit the first grade section beforehand," she waved him off, then turned her focus back on her checklist.

After he left, she started to make her way towards the exit door. "Ugh, how could I forgot this when I visited there this morning... Now I have to work twice," she grumbled.

Before she could mutter another protest, she was distracted by the sight of full-dressed Yuzuru running to her direction. She halted her step, and couldn't help but mesmerized by his looks.

"Yuri! You're gonna see us on stage?" he greeted cheerfully.

She recovered from her short daze and grinned. "Yeah, right after I take one last check on the first grade," she cupped her chin and studied him from head to toe. "Nice outfit by the way."

She said the truth, he looked good in a black jacket over his red T-shirt. Not every day she could see him without his uniform, so it was unsurprising that she was fascinated by his current look.

He blushed a bit at her compliment. "Ah, this was Hinata's idea, actually. He suggested we should have matching outfits to make us catchier," he straightened his folded sleeves.

 _He did a great job choosing the color. Black and red really suits him._

She couldn't say it out loud, so she just gave a thumbs up instead. "I'll head off to the gym as soon as possible. Is it almost time?"

He nodded. "Kind of. The others are getting ready backstage. I asked Hinata to call me when it's time to check sound," he then looked around, "by the way, did you happen to see Kanade anywhere? She promised she'd see us as well..."

Yuri's eyes widened for a split second, then she placed her finger on her chin as she tried to remember. "Hmm... I'm not sure, but last time I saw her I think she said that she wanted to check on the ramen stand of our class. Perhaps you can try there," she suggested.

His face brightened. "Right. Thanks, Yuri. Be sure you won't be late!" he said as he ran off towards the exit.

She smiled, shaking her head. "That Otonashi- _kun_. Always so passionate whenever it comes to Kanade- _chan_."

 _That's why there's no way I can win against her._

Yuri was about to resume her walk when another voice stopped her from going any further.

"Excuse me, miss... May I ask you where the stalls held by second grade students are?" a soft feminine voice asked, causing her to turn her head at the speaker.

Yuri was stunned for some moments by the angelic figure she was looking at. The middle-aged woman was so slim and delicate, clad in a white summer dress that complimented her porcelain skin. If it wasn't because of her mature aura, Yuri certainly would guess that this woman was only a couple years older than herself. Her long white hair fell gracefully down to her hips, and her cerulean blue eyes were so unique, it reminded Yuri of the color of the ocean in summer.

Simply said, this woman was gorgeous.

Suddenly she remembered that this person was awaiting her answer and how rude of her for just staring wordlessly at the stranger.

"A-ah... Yes, they are at the school grounds over there," Yuri pointed to the field visible beyond the glass doors of the building.

The woman's gentle eyes followed her direction before turning her head back to the girl.

"I see. Thank you very much," she smiled, then bowed lightly before turning her heels and began walking away.

Yuri's gaze followed until she disappeared behind the descending stairs leading to the school grounds.

 _What a beautiful woman. Maybe she's one of the students' relative. Who invited her to this festival, I wonder?_

She started to make rough guesses in her head. _White hair... Slightly cat-shaped eyes with bright blue irises... Delicate face... Porcelain white skin—_

She startled. Her mind was telling her that the woman resembled someone she knew. Somehow she felt goose bumps on her arms despite the heat of the day, but she rubbed her arm nonchalantly, trying to dismiss the idea.

 _Nah, no way. She told me herself she had no one to invite. I must hurry and finish my job._

After taking a final look at her checklist, Yuri rushed towards her initial objective.

.

 _ **School Grounds**_

The vast open space usually used for sport activities was now full with stalls selling various foods and items. One of them was used as a ramen stall by students from class 2-B. A mouth-watering aroma spread from the small makeshift kitchen, effectively drawing customers in.

"It smells amazing. Everything's good?" a petite girl greeted the waiters with her monotone voice, causing the people inside the stall to turn their attention to her.

"Uwah! You're here, Pres," one of them exclaimed. "Yeah, our ramen has become quite famous around here. Hitomi has the recipe, you know," he used his thumb to point at the girl cutting the vegetables behind him.

The said girl blushed at the credit. "I-It was nothing! I only used my family's recipe from my grandmother," she defended.

Kanade nodded and looked around the stall, silently admitting that everything was nicely prepared.

"I'm sorry I didn't do anything to help you," she said sincerely.

Her classmates either waved their hands or shook their heads in a placating manner.

"No, no, it's okay. Don't mention it, Pres. You helped us a lot as student council," Hitomi replied politely, then smiled at her. "That's right, do you want to try some? I'll prepare a bowl for you."

Kanade was surprised at her offer, but she shook her head. "No need. I still have some business to do before lunch."

Her classmates responded by nodding awkwardly. She noticed their disappointed faces, so she quickly added with a small smile, "thank you for your offer, anyway."

She didn't catch their stunned expressions as the effect of her gratitude—the guys even blushed slightly—and turned her heels to leave.

"Well, I have to get going. Maybe I'll come again for lunch after I finish my job. Sell a lot," she threw another smile before walking away.

One of the guys recovered first from his stupor. "Hey... Don't you guys think Tachibana- _san_ has changed a bit? I've never seen her smiling like that..."

"Yeah, I agree! I thought Angel was always cold, but apparently she isn't that scary," another girl replied enthusiastically, "I think I'm gonna try to talk with her more from now on..."

.

.

Kanade checked her watch then quickened her pace.

"It's about time... I should go to the gym right now," she murmured, flipping her hair behind her shoulder so that her sweating neck could feel the cooling breeze.

She didn't tie her hair up in a ponytail today, instead she's only wearing her usual barrette hairclip—and now she began to regret the decision. The sun glared mercilessly that day.

"I'll be saved once I get into the gym. Just hold it a little more," she told herself, wiping her sweat from her forehead.

"Kanade?"

The voice calling her name sounded foreign yet familiar at the same time. She stopped abruptly and turned towards the source, and her eyes widened instantly.

That was the second regret she had today. She wished she could turn back time and just keep on walking instead. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the white-haired woman in disbelief.

"Long time no see... How are you...?" a beautiful smile curled on the older woman's thin lips.

When Kanade finally let out her breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, the sound that came out of her mouth was only audible as a whisper to herself.

"M-mother..."

.

 _ **School Grounds, Storeroom—Rear**_

Kanade led her mother to a more secluded place so they could talk in private. Still, now that they had place and time, she didn't have the guts to say a word after all. There she was, with her mother whom she had not seen for years, yet she was too petrified to even give a simple greeting.

Why, you ask?

Because truth be told, never once did the idea of meeting her mother again ever cross her mind. When she first entered this boarding school, she thought she had already cut her ties with her family. Don't get the wrong idea, she didn't hate her parents—she _feared_ them.

Call her a perfidious daughter, she didn't care. She only did it as her desperate effort to bury her past deep in the bottom of her scarred heart.

"You've grown, Kanade. You look good with long hair," her mother's soft voice startled her. She hesitantly looked up at her face, the face that had not changed a bit from the last time she saw her.

Naruse Shiroha—used to be Tachibana Shiroha—still had those cerulean blue eyes, long white hair, and young features that made her look much younger than her actual age. A gift she passed down to her only daughter. If there was something different with her now, it was that gentle look and smile she rarely showed back when they lived together.

Kanade inhaled a deep breath and braved herself to speak. "Mother... Why are you here...?"

There was a glint of relief in the older woman's eyes hearing her daughter's voice.

"Ah, I happened to be walking around a couple of days ago and saw a banner about a cultural festival at Shinsen Academy. I thought of you right away and we decided to come visit you today."

Kanade first wondered how could her mother find out that she went to this school. She was sure she never informed her anything regarding her whereabouts (she did choose a boarding-type school mainly because she didn't want to stay at her house after all).

But wait. There was something more in her mother's sentence if she didn't misheard it.

"'We'...?" she repeated in a low voice, somewhat afraid of the possible outcome.

Shiroha widened her smile even though her eyes showed some uncertainty.

"Before that, Kanade... I know it's so sudden and I don't want to disturb your work. Do you have time for a talk?"

Yuzuru's hopeful face soon entered Kanade's mind. She had promised him, she had to watch him no matter what. Disappointing him was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Honestly... not now. I'm kind of in a hurry and I really have to go..." she couldn't meet her mother's eyes. She wasn't used to be against her parents' words back then—and it still felt so uncomfortable to do it now, even after all these years.

To Kanade's surprise, her mother nodded and smiled understandingly.

"Okay. I'll wait until you're free, then. I found a beautiful garden with flowerbeds while walking around the campus. How about I'll wait there? You can come whenever you have time," she suggested.

Kanade looked at her in slight amazement. It was a first to hear such a gentle voice from her mother. Years ago, she remembered how she never accepted refusal and always throwing cold glares at her.

"I really want you to meet this person," Shiroha added.

Kanade's slight ease turned back into more anxiety. She didn't reply as her mother waved and left after saying 'see you later'. A chill ran down her spine, her palms wet with cold sweat that wasn't caused by the heat of the day.

 _Who is this person she wants me to meet? Her new lover? Did she already get married with one of her lovers? Did she bring her new husband here?_

She couldn't stop speculating inside her mind. It was a fact that her mother was a player—that was the main reason why her father divorced her in the first place.

 _Or..._

A wave of nausea washed over, making her stomach churn. Her face paled as she imagined the worst possibility.

 _No... No way. He should be overseas—_

"Kanade?"

She jolted. Placing her hand where her heart almost leaped out, she turned to find Yuzuru who sighed in relief.

"There you are. It's about time for me to perform but you weren't at the gym, so I came to pick you up," he said.

When she didn't respond, he scratched his hair hesitantly. "Uhm... Do you still want to come...?"

She averted her eyes and answered weakly. "Sure..."

"Great. Let's go," he chirped and took her hand, pulling her to walk beside him. She didn't say anything, instead she just silently followed his lead.

After making sure her attention was somewhere else, Yuzuru dropped his cheerful act and frowned. He peered at her pale face, now lowered and full with worry. He couldn't help but glanced back towards the school grounds they had just left.

 _I believe she lived with her dad after her parents divorced... So why did her mom suddenly come today...? And this suffocating atmosphere... I don't like it one bit..._

He gripped her sweaty palm tighter in his hand.

.

.

 **To be Continued**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N: I borrowed my favorite character from Summer Pockets, Naruse Shiroha, to be Kanade's mom. XD Summer Pockets is another visual novel by Keys and it has strong Angel Beats vibe in its characters. If you see Shiroha's picture, you'll realize that she resembles Kanade very much. That's why I made her to play the mother's role. XD Disclaimer: I don't own Summer Pockets!**


	10. Red Thread

**A/N: Hi! It's Fi again. Big thanks for Thnh An Phm, Ray nightshade, Enilorac Eiram, RedSS, Aceabc, and Kazuto2025, I really appreciate your supports! XD This chapter is a bit longer and definitely the hardest chapter I've written so far, I apologize if it did not turn out very good. #ojigi A** **nd I recommend you to listen to mikitoP's song 'Akaito' while reading this chapter, and since Otonashi is singing it, you might want to listen to the cover version by Rib (originally it was sung by Hatsune Miku). I love both versions though. XD. Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

' **Akaito' (Red Thread) belongs to mikitoP**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Very OOC! Please bear with me**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 10: Red Thread**

 **.**

 _ **Gymnasium—Backstage**_

Antsy Hinata was fumbling with his phone, his brows deeply furrowed. He continued to pace back and forth and his mouth didn't stop grumbling in agitation.

"For Pete's sake, where the hell is he? He asked me to call him when it's time, but he isn't picking up his phone at all..." he stopped pacing and leered at his fellow band members. "Oi, Takamatsu! Hurry up and put on your clothes! I've told you to get ready!"

The four-eyed guy smirked and began flexing his well-built muscles. "I'm so ready for this. Finally the time has come to show this body."

"This isn't a death metal concert! What's weirder than a keyboardist who shows up topless playing a pop song at a school festival?!" he chided, then narrowed his eyes as he imagined the picture. "Actually, it's a different story if you play drums, though..." Hinata added reluctantly with a lower voice.

"Oh? Should I take off my clothes, too?" Matsushita—the drummer—asked, then started to unzip his jacket right away.

"YOU SHOULDN'T! LIKE I SAID, WE'RE NOT A DEATH METAL BAND! JUST PUT ON YOUR DAMN CLOTHES!"

"Hmph, it can't be helped..." Takamatsu straightened his glasses before grabbing his clothes and putting them on.

Hinata was about to let out a heavy breath when Fujimaki approached him.

"But really, what the hell does that brat think he's doing? Being this fashionably late in last minutes," he complained, and Hinata knew he referred to their vocalist.

"I don't know either... He should be here soon," he replied. His eyes then caught something in the bassist's hand. "Eeh... Fujimaki, what's that?"

"This? It's a bamboo sword for _kendo_ ," he answered matter-of-factly.

Hinata sweatdropped and almost rolled his eyes again. "I know that, but why—"

Fujimaki raised the long stick cockily. " _Kendo_ club is my pride! With this, I'll show them my awesomeness so I can attract more people to join the club!" he put his bamboo sword on his shoulder. "I'll make that brat my opponent, if he doesn't show up soon."

"How can you bring that if you're supposed to be playing bass?! We're doing a band performance, not a _kendo_ match! Put that thing down!"

"Tch, can't be helped, can it...?" Fujimaki pouted, putting his dear weapon down.

"OF COURSE IT CAN'T!"

Hinata massaged his throbbing temples. "Gosh... What did I do in my previous life to deal with these morons...?"

A manly chuckle was heard as his response. "Looks like you're having a hard time, eh, Hinata?"

He spun his head and beamed at the arrival of his lost vocalist. "Otonashi! Where have you been? You weren't answering my calls!"

The said boy raised a brow at him. "You called? I didn't think I heard anything—" he pulled out his phone from his pocket and realized it was still on silent mode.

"My bad. Kinda forgot to turn off silent mode... I guess," he simpered, scratching his ginger hair sheepishly.

Hinata had to resist the urge to strangle him. "HOW COULD YOU ASK ME TO CALL YOU WHILE YOUR PHONE'S MUTE? USING SCHOOL'S SPEAKERS?!"

"S-Sorry, it's my fault, okay? There, I turn off silent mode. Happy now? Call me as much as you want!" Yuzuru changed his phone into general mode and showed it in panic.

Hinata sighed tiredly. He would not be surprised if he ended up having hypertension at the end of the day. "Never mind. Did you manage to find Kanade- _chan_ , by the way?"

Yuzuru tensed up a little. "...Yeah. She's here," he replied as normally as possible.

"That's good. Let's get ready, then! Time to show 'em what we've got!" Hinata patted his shoulder and walked away to get his guitar.

Yuzuru smiled at his friend, then peeked outside towards the crowd. He gazed solemnly, picturing a certain face somewhere among the people.

 _Please listen to this song carefully, Kanade. I'll pour all my feelings into this song._

.

 _ **Gym Interior**_

Lunch break just ended a while ago, but it didn't make the students just lazing around. Instead, they were fast to gather back inside the gym. A crowd was once again formed, full of anticipation for the next performance.

Hiding her petite body among the crowd was the school's student council president. However, she seemed to be unaffected by her enthusiastic surroundings. She appeared to be locked inside her own shell, untouched by all the hype around her.

She knew she should be looking forward to the show. Still, her mind was too preoccupied with uneasiness at the moment.

The reason was, of course, her unexpected meeting with her mother. She kept pondering her mother's words, but more importantly, she felt there was something odd about her mother finding out her whereabouts.

"Aah, you're here, Kanade- _chan_! Thank goodness you made it!"

Kanade startled, the voice broke all of the questions running in her mind. Yuri was squeezing her way among the crowd, trying to approach her friend.

"Phew, what a horde. Looks like you've beaten me to it. I barely made it in time," she wiped her sweat from her forehead. "Did Otonashi- _kun_ bring you here? I saw him while he was looking for you frantically as if he was looking for his missing heart," she asked cheerfully.

"Yes... he did," was all Kanade's reply. She lowered her head again, not interested to engage in another talk.

Yuri raised a brow. It was a first for Kanade not falling into her tease.

She studied her friend's odd behavior. Sure she knew that she was busy today—but as far as she knew, the tough president never showed any weariness even after such an exhausting day. Something else must be disturbing her.

Yuri's short encounter with the beautiful woman popped in her mind.

Her brain began recalling various information like a jigsaw puzzle. First, the woman had strong resemblance to Kanade. And now this girl showed a slight concerned expression. She could put two and two together easily.

All she need to do now was to confirm her suspicion.

"Hey, Kanade- _chan_..." Yuri called in a serious tone, successfully gaining Kanade's attention.

"You know, I met this woman earlier. It's just a rough guess of mine, but could it be—"

" **WELCOME BACK TO SHINSEN ACADEMY'S CULTURAL FESTIVAL! ARE YOU GUYS READY TO ROCK?"**

The sudden cheers from the excited crowd surprised the two girls, and they automatically turned towards the stage. On the stage was Yuzuru's band, all clad in matching red T-shirts and black jackets.

Yuri couldn't help but entranced at the charisma they emitted just by addressing the audience.

She glanced at the girl beside her. Her full attention towards the band showed that she was also having the same thought as hers. Yuri shrugged and smiled before preparing herself to watch the live.

 _Well, I guess the talk can wait. She really needs to enjoy this performance, after all._

Yuzuru exchanged short looks with his members, all equipped with respective instruments, then nodded. He pulled the microphone stand closer to him.

" **We're from class 2-A and thanks for coming! Please enjoy the song we'll sing today: 'Red Thread'!"**

The song started with both guitar and bass playing intro, bringing the audience to cheer. Soon the drums and keyboard also joined the beat of the intro, followed by Yuzuru's voice singing the first verse. The crowd went wild.

" _ **Since that time, how much distance has opened up between the two of us?"**_

Kanade couldn't bring herself to dance or sing along like the others, but she had to admit that she was mesmerized. This was the first time she heard Yuzuru actually sing—since he never sang loudly on rehearsals.

The other time she heard him sing was back when they were at Senzoku Music School, but...

" _ **No matter how many times I loved you, no matter how many times I resented you, this tightly wound thread continues to gently bind me."**_

But now she wasn't just watching a mere student singing in front of the class. He still had that amazing voice, yes. However, there was this feeling he poured into his song that she came to know for the first time.

She recalled when he told her about this song. It was about a couple who was separated by circumstances of the girl's dream, but they believe in Red Thread of Fate that still bound them together.

" _ **And so, I can't say it, that even now, I want to see you, that it still hurts..."**_

She let her mind rewind back to her lonely days after Yuzuru left her. To keep on living in hollow days of regret. Desperately wishing to be able to see each other in vain.

Kanade felt her eyes getting moist.

 _Some of the lyrics... somehow it stirs my heart. Is Yuzuru feeling this way, too...?_

" _ **You were the first person who truly made me think 'I want to protect you'"**_

As the crowd waving their arms along with the beat, Kanade only placed her hand over her chest. The lyrics seemed to feel like a blow that made her think of many things. Of their past, of her own feelings...

Of Yuzuru's feelings.

 _Did he also feel like that when he left? Just... how much pain I've caused him to suffer..._

" _ **And that's why, I have to say it, that I still love you..."**_

Yuzuru softened his voice singing the solo, only accompanied with his guitar. His eyes searching the crowd, until they finally landed on the only spectator who didn't sing or wave along.

He locked his gaze on that person.

" _ **Hey, I'm lonely when you're not here. I'd rather die than live without you. A night where I troubled you by being honest."**_

With the song reaching its climax, all band members played the last part with more passion. Yuzuru followed with adding more power to boost the spirit while keeping his pitch stay controlled.

" _ **But it's alright, no matter what kind of future awaits us, I won't let this red thread be cut."**_

When the song ended, the crowd went crazy and the gym soon full with applause.

Yuzuru's eyes met Kanade's. He threw a smile at her, before turning to join fellow band members. They bowed and thanked the audience.

Kanade couldn't tear her gaze away from the ginger-haired vocalist on stage. The way he waved, the way he high-fived and laughed heartily with his friends... All looked so dazzling that it was almost blinding to her small presence.

She looked away as her heart began to race. She aimlessly glanced around to the cheering crowd, until her eyes landed on Yuri—whose eyes shone brightly just like her own a moment ago.

And it was directed straight at the vocalist who was now retreating towards the backstage.

.

 _ **Gymnasium—Backstage**_

"Hahaha, we did it guys, what a catch! Man, who would've thought we could get a lot of fans in just one show? We should do this more often!" Hinata proudly checked the pictures in his phone.

Truth be told, their performance was quite astounding that some of the female audience even braved themselves to sneak into the backstage to take pictures with them. First came one girl and then another, and soon the queue was formed just to chat and take pictures with the band.

When the mob of new fans was cleared, finally they have their time to take a breath.

"Careful with that over-excitement, Hinata. Your girlfriend probably won't be happy about it," Matsushita warned the blue-haired boy who was grinning ear-to-ear.

"Hey, she loves music even more than myself. She must be proud of her boyfriend's first successful live show!" Hinata defended himself.

"Come to think of it, is she not coming today?"

"She should be somew—" Hinata stopped abruptly, then scratched his hair lazily. "Beats me. She told me she had to do some favor for her _senpai_. She didn't give me the details, though. That little secretive brat..."

"I've succeeded in boosting my popularity even without my bamboo sword! All I need to do now is just ask people to join _kendo_ club," Fujimaki interposed excitedly.

"Next time, I want to be in drummer's position so I can show off this body. Matsushita- _godan_ , please teach me how to play drums," Takamatsu said to the drummer, which nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure thing. I want you to teach me train my body as well, Takamatsu! I want to look cooler in front of the girls!"

The two guys shook hands, both filled with a burning spirit of youth. Their surroundings seemed to sparkle to the point it was almost sickening for the rest of the guys.

"Uwah, will those idiots ever act normal for once?" Hinata shuddered at his friends' antics, then shrugged and turned to his vocalist.

"But our success was all thanks to you, Otonashi! You're pretty much the star of the stage!"

The ginger-haired boy paused his movement from zipping up his guitar case and blushed at the compliment.

"You're exaggerating. We worked together as a team, I'm not the only one deserves all the credit," after he made sure his guitar was safe, he stood up and walked towards the exit. "Well then, I'll go on ahead. I'll leave my guitar in your care."

"Already? Everyone's still chatting here. We can grab lunch together after this," Hinata offered, but Yuzuru just smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, but I've got something to do. The festival is still young, let's hang out again later," he waved and left the backstage.

.

 _ **Gym Interior**_

Yuzuru was surprised when he walked into the spacious hall. The crowd had dispersed, nothing like what he saw from stage earlier. He looked at the stage, some students were in the middle of setting props for the next play.

"Just how much time I've spent at the backstage?" he murmured, dumbfounded. He started to look around in panic.

 _Where is she...?_

"Hiya! Amazing performance right there, Otonashi- _kun_!" a pat on his shoulder made him spin his head to the speaker.

A cheerful grin from a certain plum-haired girl greeted him.

"Yuri! Thanks, glad that you liked it," he smiled back at the girl.

"'Liked it'? That's an understatement, you know. You guys were superb, couldn't you say by looking at the audience? Pretty nice song you picked there, too," she chuckled, then glanced at the stage. "Looks like it'll take a while before the next play. Wanna grab some lunch? You haven't had one, have you?"

Yuzuru snapped from his cool. "Ah, that's right, Yuri! Kanade, where is she? Wasn't she with you when watching us?"

Yuri was taken aback at his sudden change, but replied nonetheless. "Y-yeah, she was right beside me. She left right after you guys finished though, maybe she's getting back to work...?"

He gritted his teeth.

 _It's not her work, it must be..._

"Thanks, Yuri. I'm going now, see you!" he dashed off towards the exit without even looking back.

The girl was bewildered at first, but she soon recalled the slight somber look on Kanade's face. And judging by his rush, Yuri concluded that he knew something about Kanade that she didn't.

Her worry multiplied, Yuri hastily followed Yuzuru's path towards the exit. Once outside, she looked around for any hint of him but to no avail. She sighed in disappointment.

"It's no use... I don't know where Kanade- _chan_ went," she looked down and sighed one more time. Realizing there's nothing she could do right now, her mind portrayed the image of Yuzuru, running with a determined face.

She smiled softly and mumbled quietly, "I leave her in your hands, Otonashi- _kun_... Please don't disappoint me."

.

 _ **Botanical Garden**_

Flowerbeds full with beautiful flowers—mostly yellow in color—would first greet anyone who approached the place. The clear weather of summer was a perfect compliment which made the garden shine radiantly.

This certain place had always been Kanade's favorite, as she often spent her free time taking care of the flowers. She was fond of gardening—weeding and tending plants always put her mind at ease.

Unfortunately, that peaceful feeling she needed the most was currently nowhere to be found. Ironically, in her own favorite place she had to struggle so she didn't cower visibly.

The reason was the presence of the older woman she was facing right now.

"I apologize to make you wait... Mother," she said in a small voice, shifting her feet uncomfortably.

Her mother, on the contrary, shook her head and smiled warmly. "That's my line. I'm sorry for disturbing your busy day out of the blue," she looked a bit hesitant as she said the next sentence, "we were kind of desperate to visit you. We thought today was perfect since the school's holding an open house... So yeah."

There it was again, the use of plural subject. One word that held a mountain of uncertainty.

And Kanade didn't like it one bit.

She gulped and braved herself to ask. "Mother... what do you mean by 'we'...?"

"That's right. I want you to meet someone today," she turned to the side and gestured to whomever waiting behind the greenhouse.

Kanade tried to maintain her straight face despite the thumping in her chest. She was suddenly surrounded by uncomfortable bad feelings.

A part of her wished that it was her mother's new husband. Honestly, she knew there was no way she could be happy to meet her mother's new partner. Yet, somehow it would be much better if it was someone she had never met before...

Rather than a certain someone she _did_ know.

Her fright was proven as soon as the person stepped out from the corner of the greenhouse to reveal himself. Luck must had been laughing down at her, as if she still hadn't got enough hardships for today.

Of all people, it turned out to be _definitely_ the _last_ person she wanted to meet.

That person—a handsome tall man in his middle thirties—rubbed the back of his neck groggily, before finally moving his golden brown eyes to the petrified girl.

"Kanade... It's been a while," he greeted awkwardly.

To say Kanade was shocked was an understatement. She did suspect this kind of probability once, but she was too scared to imagine it really came into reality. Heck, she even desperately prayed that it would _never_ happen.

She felt all the blood drained from her face. Her grip on her clipboard loosened that she almost dropped it if only she wasn't holding it close to her chest. With the little energy left in her body, she shakily addressed the man under her breath.

"Fa... ther..."

Tachibana Hairi couldn't stay looking at his daughter's face. Looking at those golden eyes similar to his own only made him more filled with guilt and shame. He soon found the ground more interesting to stare at.

"U-uhm... We're sorry we didn't tell you about our visit beforehand. But then, I guess you wouldn't let us see you if you already knew," he uttered.

Kanade was terrified. There she was, with the very person responsible for her traumatic past. That voice was exactly the same voice she wished she could forget. Hearing it again after all these years was like unlocking the chain in her brain, causing her old memories to gush out from the deepest part of her mind.

She was having a tremendous battle inside her head right now. Her subconscious mind was telling her to run away, but her trembling legs deterred her to move. She lowered her head, hiding her terror-stricken face from sight as she desperately fought not to shut her eyes.

Because she knew once her eyes were closed, all the images of her father and herself would take over her sanity. She guaranteed she wouldn't be able to prevent herself from freaking out if that happened.

Her parents were fully aware of their daughter's palpable fright, and they both looked down in remorse. Shiroha was the first to break the tense silence.

"Kanade... Your father has told me everything. He confessed all that happened while you were living overseas... Then we decided to meet you in person. It was a difficult decision, but we made it together," all the calm exterior she had shown up to this point began to crumble, and she was visibly fidgeting.

Kanade wished she could just disappear. She did not want to hear anything from them. Those haunting nightmares went flashing in her mind, and she felt her senses were fading out. She had to claw on her own arm to keep her sanity in place.

 _N-no... No... Don't remind me! I don't want to hear about it again!_

Hairi was next to gather up all his courage under the suffocating atmosphere. He glanced at his daughter before taking a deep breath.

"I know I don't even have the right to be called your father. But at least let me say this, Kanade," he shut his eyes tight, then fell on his knees and brought his head down in a deep bow. "I'm so sorry!"

The petite girl was shocked at her father's movement, but she didn't dare to react.

Hairi clenched his fists on the ground. "Maybe I don't even deserve your forgiveness. I'm fully aware of that. After all, what kind of father am I to tarnish my own daughter with my dirty desires?! I should get rotten in hell instead!" his voice croaked, his shoulders trembled.

Watching her ex-husband's broken state made Shiroha's heart ache with her own painful guilt. Holding back her tears of remorse, she then joined him to bow in a deep apology.

"Me too... Forgive me for all the things I've done. When I heard that you still call me mother, I couldn't help but feel so happy, yet also ashamed for that... I'm so sorry I didn't take care of you like a mother should, Kanade."

Shiroha's tough shell appeared to reach its limit and started to waver. "All this nightmare happened because I started it. If I wasn't cheating, we wouldn't get divorced and you would never have to experience anything you shouldn't," her voice cracked.

"I should have become the luckiest mother ever to have such an amazing child like you... But instead, I crushed your trust and childhood by making you a witness to my cheating habit," she sobbed, "If I could turn back time... I wish I could have more time to see you grow," she confessed regretfully.

After her sobbing subsided, the beautiful woman wiped the tears from her cheeks and raised her head to look up at her only daughter.

"That's why we came to see you today. There's something we really want to tell you..." she closed her eyes before delivering the news, "I'll be moving abroad to your father's place. Moreover, we are giving ourselves a second chance."

Kanade widened her eyes.

 _Getting back together...? Mother and father are...?_

"Therefore..." Shiroha added, a soft smile adorned her lips. "We will be very happy if you can come back with us. Perhaps we really can't turn back time... But at least let us give you what you deserve, which we have never given you before. We will live together as a family again," she put a comforting hand on Hairi's shoulder, making him raise his head to look up at his daughter hopefully.

Kanade was at a loss for words. She wondered whether she was just too exhausted that she started to imagine things. Just like other children who came from a broken home family, one of her deepest desires was to see her parents living happily together. Kanade was sure that her 10 year-old self would be very happy for the news. She wouldn't think twice to take the chance of living with her parents again.

However, she wasn't ten anymore.

She gulped down the bitter lump in her throat as she struggled to maintain her cool. Still, her left hand betrayed her by trembling vigorously. She put her other hand on it to ease the shaking.

Every second felt like torture for her to stand in this situation, but she kept silently encouraging herself to bear with it. This was the only time to deal with her past—probably her one and only chance. There's no way she would let it go in vain.

Just escaping the memories of her past couldn't give guarantee they wouldn't haunt her in the future, she was aware of that now. That's why she wouldn't run away anymore.

After several minutes—that felt like agonizing eternity—of concentrating on her breathing, she was finally able to calm down a bit.

 _Just a little more..._

She slowly took in a deep breath. "Father... Mother..."

Her parents looked up simultaneously. She wasn't looking at them, her gaze was still directed to the ground. But that soft voice successfully evoked an expectant look from them.

"I have forgiven you since long time ago. And... I'm glad that you're back together now. I really am," she was relieved that her voice came out much steadier than she thought. It sparked a little confidence among the sea of anxiety.

They were waiting with hopeful glint in their eyes, as they knew she was just getting started.

Kanade sighed inwardly.

"But... I'm afraid I can't go with you," she continued, "this place isn't just a mere school to me. I have to admit that in the beginning, I used to see this school as my refuge from my sorrow, but now..."

She closed her eyes, thinking about people who had given colors in her gloomy days. The people who finally gave her a chance to enjoy life, something she had forgotten how to do since long ago. Her heart warmed up only with the thought of it.

When she opened her eyes, she eventually managed to meet their eyes.

"Now, I have friends who let me be just the way I am. They make me able to live life as a normal teenager like how I've always wanted to do... They are my new family here," her lips curled to form a small, gentle smile. "That's why I can't leave them."

Shiroha and Hairi were stunned by the first smile their daughter showed—perplexed, even. They exchanged meaningful looks with each other before smiling sadly. Hairi rose to his feet first, then helped his ex-wife to her feet as well.

"We understand," Shiroha said, "perhaps this is our atonement to let you find your happiness without us. We're very happy that you can find friends who care for you like family, so we won't force you to come with us."

"You know... After you left, I've always blamed myself for hurting you again and again. We've always wanted you to know how sorry we are... We were also worried whether you could cope with living by yourself. But you prove to us that you can do better than expected," Hairi stepped closer towards his daughter slowly.

Kanade stiffened, instinctively drawing a step back. But seeing the deep regret in her father's expression ceased her thought of pushing him away.

He wrapped his arms around her rigid body, giving her a gentle hug. Soon, her mother joined and hugged them tightly, yet tenderly.

"We're so proud of you, Kanade. You've grown into such an amazing girl. And forgive us for everything," she whispered shakily.

Her mother's voice was so soothing that—much to Kanade's surprise—it gave slight ease in her feelings, in spite of being in the arms of the cause of her trauma.

It felt so... _motherly_.

Her lonely side was realizing that she was getting a warm hug from her parents, something she silently yearned for back when she was a child. Not only that... they also told her that they were worried about her well-being. They were happy for her.

They were proud of her.

Feeling her vision blurred with tears, she closed her eyes and nodded in her parents' arms.

The two adults released the family hug, smiling in relief. Shiroha brushed away her tears as she laughed softly, patting her daughter's cheeks lovingly.

The rest of the scene was running in a blur as Kanade's mind clouded with haze. She couldn't reckon what really happened or what her parents said to her anymore. She only vaguely took notice their hands waving goodbye sadly at her motionless figure.

Once their retreating backs disappeared from her view, the wobbling in her knees came first into her senses until she had to struggle to just stay standing on her feet. She slouched against a nearby tree before her legs failed her.

Slowly, the fog in her mind began to dissipate. Waves of emotions filled up her fragile heart. Pieces of recognition gradually falling into place, one after another, until it became too much for her to bear.

Shock, sadness, fear, loneliness, void, dread, anxiety, regret, but also... Relief.

Everything was too overwhelming to take all at once. She gripped the shirt over her chest, hoping it would ease the painful ache in her heart. This was her limit for holding it all.

The first drop of tears fell down her cheeks, then followed by another one. And another. Like a broken dam, soon she couldn't even stop her sob as she bawled her eyes out.

A chime of ringtone broke the silence that had only been filled with her sobs. She jolted at the faint melody, not so loud but enough to reach her sensitive ears.

The ringtone that wasn't hers.

Kanade spun her head in alarm, finally came to horrid realization that she wasn't alone. That was confirmed as she heard faint curses came from a bush a couple of meters away from her spot.

The ringtone stopped ringing, and the owner finally stepped out from his hiding spot, revealing a nervous Yuzuru who was putting his phone back into his pocket.

Kanade's wide eyes stared at him in disbelief. She suddenly forgot how to breath as her chest tightened around her lungs.

"S-sorry! I was worried because you've already gone from the gym when I finished—I mean, I wanted to ask you to get lunch together! I... I-I didn't mean to overhear anything!" he stuttered, his eyes wandered anywhere but her face.

He cursed inwardly for being a terrible liar. Of course he _did_ mean to overhear. But there's no way he could just casually tell the truth, right?

' _Hey, I knew your mom confronted you earlier, and I'm worried as hell. So I decided to play detective and find out myself.' Man, I'll be dead meat if I ever say it out loud..._

He suddenly regretted his decision to follow her. He kept telling himself to act normally, but damn, if only doing it was as easy as it said. His gut washed with fresh guilt and he tried his best to hide it. He didn't want her to think that he had intruded her privacy—which was precisely what he had done, ironically.

"How long... have you been standing there...?" Kanade asked in a small voice, and Yuzuru knew he couldn't run away.

"For a while... I think," he averted his gaze sideways, too nervous to meet hers.

"Did you hear all of it?"

He gulped, then nodded reluctantly. He bit his lip hard, feeling his head spinning with all the shock from finding out the truth. He then let out a heavy breath.

"Sorry... I lied. I knew that you would meet your mom here. I was so worried something bad would happen to you... so I sneaked behind the bush. Forgive me, Kanade," he hung his head in shame, preparing himself in case she would hit or yell at him.

Unbeknownst to him, it was Kanade who received the final blow.

Her last hope evaporated into thin air, so did her remaining strength. Her clipboard fell with a clatter, followed with her body helplessly collapsing to the rough pavement.

"Ka-Kanade...!"

Kanade ignored his call. She stared blankly at the pavement from her sitting position, watching as her own tears silently fell from her face to the stone surface. She looked at her palm, noticing it was now smudged with dirt.

 _Dirty. Dirty. Dirty. I'm dirty. I AM DIRTY. He already found out that I'M DIRTY._

She lost it. Covering her face with her hands, she broke down and cried her eyes out.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her frail body. Yuzuru's sigh sounded shaky in her ear as he stroked her hair.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have listened to everything. It's truly my fault," he whispered to the weeping girl.

She stifled a sob, burying her face in his broad shoulder. "Yes... you shouldn't. You really shouldn't..."

His heart almost stopped by the way her voice cracked.

"I'm... done for..." she whispered weakly between sobs, as if she was breathing in heavy air. "You're the last person in this world... that I wish to know about my past..."

Yuzuru's eyes dilated in surprise.

"...Now you won't see me the same way as before. I'm neither a proud student council president nor a model student..." she whimpered, "I'm just a tainted, filthy girl who—" she tried to break away from him, but he pulled her closer to his chest, tightening his arms around her slender frame.

"Don't say things like that," he hissed between gritted teeth, and she flinched at his tone.

He failed in his struggle to control his emotions and couldn't restrain his tears that started welling up in his eyes. He hated hearing Kanade putting a derogatory label on herself, it pierced his heart painfully. He buried his face in her soft hair, hopelessly inhaling her sweet scent as much as he could—as if she would disappear if he let go.

"No matter what had happened in your past... Please remember that you're still the purest girl in my eyes. And you always will," he said faintly, gripping her shirt in his embrace.

Kanade was astounded by his earnest words. Her hands—which had been trying to push him— weakened on his chest, until she finally gave into his warmth. His shaky breath vibrated in her left ear and into her heart, making it stir. It was like their hearts were resonating, she felt her chest aching for him as well.

She feebly moved her arms to wrap around his back.

Her tears hadn't stopped falling, but she could feel herself slowly calming down. And once more, he had amazed her with how his sincere feelings could always make her feel better. When the touch of other men always affected her like a poisonous bite, this guy came to offer the antidote for her. His presence, completely the opposite of the others, never failed to give her comfort.

Perhaps her first love was not over yet, after all.

.

.

 **To be Continued**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N: Yes, I borrowed another character from Summer Pockets to be Kanade's father. I know his name is Takahara Hairi, but I changed the surname to match Kanade's... I apologize for that. :') Actually, he has strong resemblance to Otonashi, with a tad 'naughtier' vibe. Still, he looks cute with Shiroha so I couldn't think of using other characters. XD I don't own Summer Pockets!**


	11. For the Second Time

**A/N: Greetings! Fi here. Wow, time flies so fast and now we almost reach the end of the story. There will be only one chapter left after this one, which I'm still working on right now. :') Thank you so much for RedSS, Thnh An Phm, Enilorac Eiram, A guest (hello, and thank you! Yes, AB is my favorite anime, and always will. XD Yes, please do! I'll be looking forward to it!), Paddy110, Kakaski, Lockdown00, and tetsujinvinalay. I'm nothing without your supports. :') Anyways, on with the story!**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana eventually**

 **Warning: Very OOC! Please bear with me**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

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 **Chapter 11: For the Second Time**

 **.**

 _ **Botanical Garden**_

Sunflowers seemed to glow in their most beautiful radiance during summer. With slim, tall stems standing proudly towards the sky, large green leaves, and brown, plump seeds surrounded by bright ray florets reflecting the sunshine, anyone would never get bored staring at their beauty.

Kanade always loved the flowers she used to tend with full care. That's why she was always fond of gardening.

Today however, was an exception, as she could only gaze hollowly at her beloved flowers from the greenhouse, without any desire to take care of them.

"Here."

A sudden cold touch on her cheek made her jump slightly in her comfortable sitting position. She looked up at her intruder and was greeted by a smiling Yuzuru, holding a can of juice—which he used to poke her cheek a second ago—in her direction.

"Drink some. You must be dehydrated after crying a lot on such a hot day," he spoke again.

She took the can but didn't say anything. Her puffy eyes followed his every movement, from the simplest way of him opening his canned coffee before gulping it down greedily, until he squatted down right beside her.

"Cold drinks aren't just good as refreshments, they also help you calm your mind. I always believe people can talk about anything if accompanied by their favorite drinks."

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before taking notice that he was still in his stage attire. She looked down at her can, her finger playing with the ring tab before finally popping it open.

"Your performance was amazing," she voiced quietly.

Yuzuru was surprised by her soft voice and turned his head to look at her. Her attention was still directed towards her can.

"I really liked the song. I forgot to say that."

Perhaps it was kind of late for a compliment, but he wasn't mind. At all.

In fact, he was thankful that her voice had returned to the usual calm, tranquil tone he loved so much. He almost sighed in relief. Honestly speaking, he was hurting inside when he heard her trembling voice from all the crying.

 _This voice suits her much, much better,_ he thought to himself.

Kanade took a sip from her can then looked back down, sighing as she continued to gaze down at her lap. "My mother... is very good at music as well."

"Eh?"

"She has a beautiful voice, and also capable of playing some instruments. You can say that I got my talent from her genes," she absentmindedly twirled her can in her hand.

It felt a bit weird telling her parents' background to someone, something that even she herself didn't want to remember—but again, this was _Yuzuru_.

He wasn't just _someone_.

And after he found out the darkness of her past, she thought he needed to know more about her family.

"She used to live in a small, tranquil island called Torishirojima where she used to sing and dance at the shrine every festival. My father, in the other hand, came from Tokyo."

Yuzuru shifted his body a little to give full attention to the girl. This was the time where she's willing to share her story, and there's no way he would let a single word slip from his ears.

"They first met when my father came to Torishirojima for a vacation. Long story short, they fell in love and decided to get married at a young age. My father took my mother away from the island to live with him in the city."

Her fingers swept the thin layer of water that developed around her can. Judging from the droplets on its surface, she believed the content wasn't as cold anymore.

"I was born when they were 19. I don't really remember when I was a kid, but I still remember the first time I saw them fighting. I was around four at the moment, and there was nothing I could do than to cry in the corner of the house."

Yuzuru frowned, surely that wasn't a pleasant memory you want to remember from your childhood. That was too young for a child to see a fight. Children of that age should be playing and learning many things, not witnessing a quarrel between their parents.

He had heard somewhere that a child's brain at their golden age was just like a sponge—it would absorb everything around it. There was also high probability something they saw or heard would stay in their memory as they grew up.

"As I grew older, I noticed that my father was rarely home. Even if he was, he barely talked with my mother. Then everything started..." she trailed off, and Yuzuru gulped. He supposed he could guess what happened next.

"My mother started taking home a man I didn't know. At first I expected her to introduce her new friend to me, but she never did. Instead, she took him straight to her room," she took another gulp from her can. It lacked the coldness from before, but enough to calm her nerves nevertheless.

"She repeated it again and again, with a different face every time. As time went by, I knew what she'd been doing and it felt like hell to stay at home. That was when I started spending more time after my music lessons. I didn't care even though it's getting dark outside, as long as I could stay away from home."

She glanced up at him as she continued, "you know the rest. My parents divorced, and I chose to live with my father."

Correct enough, he already knew the rest of the story. Now the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle came into place—but sadly, the completed result was not something so beautiful to look at.

He did know that after she finished elementary school, they moved abroad because of her father's work. That should be a perfect opportunity for a girl who had been wishing to be as far as possible from her mother's life. Who would have thought it would deteriorate her life even more? That was when she...

Yuzuru turned away bitterly. He knew that she had forgiven them, and he was aware that he didn't have the right—but still, there was a nagging feeling of discontent for not landing a punch on that man's face.

He knew Kanade had stopped crying now. He knew her tears might not even stain her shirt. But he knew for sure that they left a stain on her heart, forever.

He gritted his teeth as he struggled to suppress his anger.

"I'm sorry... If only I stayed a little longer to keep you company that time, if only I had more courage to make you stay... You wouldn't have..." he trailed off, unconsciously clenching his empty can so hard until it crushed in his hand.

She shook her head, clearly unbothered by his fury. "It wasn't Yuzuru's fault..." she moved her gaze towards the sunflowers. "Everything had happened and we can't change that. I realized that only succumbing in the negative pressure from your memory won't take you anywhere but to rot in the dark."

Yuzuru's eyes darted at her fairly sharp remark, despite her usual monotonous tone. His gaze followed as Kanade stood up and walked to the nearest wastebasket, throwing her can into it. He got up to his feet, taking a step to approach her but halted after seeing her appearance from behind.

Her back was upright, but her fists were clenched tightly. Yuzuru somehow could feel the turmoil inside her, it was almost palpable enough to fill the entire greenhouse. He could say that she was fighting with her inner self, with her memories... As if she was in the middle of climbing up from the dark tunnel of her despair.

"They are most likely the only couple I've known in my life. And seeing how they turned out to be made me so skeptical about relationships."

He hung his head at her words. As much as he didn't want to admit, it was quite logical if she felt that way after everything she had been through. A girl with zero recollections about a loving family, who only got more and more tainted as she grew up.

Her rejection to him three years ago was the proof.

His heart sank.

"But after listening to your song..."

Ears perking up at the change of tone, he slowly looked back up at her figure, now had turned slightly towards him. Her silver fringe obscured her eyes, but somehow her atmosphere felt lighter. The previous tangible turmoil was already gone from her vibe.

"It started to make sense. That everything from the past does have a purpose in the future. I believe that the Red Thread of Fate has brought my separated parents back together. Then... Just like you said, there is no such thing as coincidence in our life."

She slowly turned around to face him fully, her eyes meeting his stunned ones.

"I also want to believe in what you've always believed... That our existence in this world has meaning for others."

For some moments, he just stood there, entranced by her words. That look in her eyes, the way her gaze shone clearly showed that she had reached the end of the tunnel. The gleam in her eyes silently told him that she finally managed to see sunlight in the end of her ascent.

Her simple words emitted so much warmth that it magically transmitted into his heart, erasing all the anger and bitterness from it. A smile curled on his lips as his legs moved on their own towards where she stood.

"That's right," he said when he was right in front of her, "we live by taking countless of choices in this life. But if the Red Thread has tied us together... then we'll find each other again eventually, no matter which path we choose."

She didn't say anything in reply, only wordlessly stared straight into his mesmerizing burgundy eyes. The sound of cicadas outside was almost too deafening because of the silence between them.

For Yuzuru, it wasn't just the summer choir that entranced him so much. When he gazed down into Kanade's puffy eyes, the bright sunlight seemed to compliment her golden orbs, made them glisten beautifully in a way he couldn't resist.

He had never seen her this... _ethereal_ before.

He raised his hand to stroke her cheek, his face leaning down in the process.

"...And I believe we'll always be able to find each other, as long as we live in the same world," he whispered before closing the gap between them.

Kanade's brain was switched off in that split second that she didn't have time to register what was happening. It was so brief, it ended even before she could comprehend the situation.

The moment Yuzuru opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Kanade's stilled face, wide-eyed, a faint blush on her pale cheeks. He didn't dare to make it any longer—even though he _really_ wanted to—because he was scared she would freak out again.

To his surprise, her reaction showed none of his worries—sure she looked so out of it, but the expression on her face was nothing of a scared person. And he took it as a good sign.

So he drew closer, more slowly this time, giving her a chance to push him away if this wasn't what she wanted. Kanade stilled in his touch, but it wasn't fright.

She didn't push away.

Their lips met for the second time, and this time Yuzuru took his moment to kiss her fully. He felt her relaxing in his arms as she shyly moved her lips along with his. Her lips were warm and soft, softer than they had any right to be, with her usual cold and emotionless remarks.

 _Aah... Now I feel like I'm a sinful mortal, for not being able to resist such an ethereal beauty of an angel..._

As wonderful as anything he couldn't have imagined, it still eventually came to an end. He watched as Kanade also slowly opened her dazed eyes, lashes wet from droplets of remaining tears.

Right now, both of them couldn't think of any other things, except that their first kiss tasted like sweet coffee.

His heart thumping in his chest, his emotions screaming in his soul. Every fibre of his being was craving for this girl, this very girl who had taken his heart since three years ago.

"Kanade..." he whispered, caressing her red-tinted cheek gently. "I want you to know, that even all this time..."

Just like pushing a wrong button, she stiffened at his words. Something entered her mind like a crashing huge truck that changed her demeanor drastically.

"...All this time, I've always been—"

"Don't!" she cut him off.

He was baffled at her sudden intrusion. Her jaw a bit hardened, and her bangs back to slightly shade her eyes.

Yuzuru suddenly felt uneasy. He was sure she was responding quite positively just seconds ago, but now she showed him such stone expression as she coldly took his hand away from her face.

"Those words... Don't say it," she said flatly, placing her hands on his chest and pushed him. Then, as quick as he blinked his dilated eyes, she already slipped out of his grasp, leaving him alone.

Still dumbfounded, he stared at the empty space before him, finally came to realization that his feelings—once again—did not reach her.

He clutched his chest painfully.

"The second time... huh...?"

.

 _ **School Grounds**_

Delicious meal was always the best after a tiring day. Well, it was too early to call it a day since the festival was far from over, though. There was still so much to do coming up, but even taking a break and enjoying snacks would do for now.

Yuri picked a piece of her food from the paper plate, still piping hot, blew on it a few times, then put it in her mouth. The sweet and savory taste of the sauce first greeted her tongue, followed by the tenderness of the dough indulging her taste buds. And at last, the slight chewy piece of treasure in the inside.

She cupped her cheek and sighed dreamily.

"Aah, _takoyaki_ is the best~~!"

She scanned the food on her plate, considering which piece she should take next. "Everyone in post 3 is waiting for me, I know. But even a robot needs to be charged, doesn't it?" she placed her choice on the biggest ball and ate it happily.

She continued to wallow in the heavenly goodness while walking out the field. Suddenly a glimpse of black and red appeared from the corner of her eyes, and she turned to get a better look.

Sure enough, it was him. She grinned as she started to quicken her pace, waving at the lone person.

"Hey! Otonashi- _kun_!"

The guy quickly recognized her voice, and waved back after she entered his line of sight.

"Oh, it's you, Yuri," he gave a small smile.

She instantly detected the lack of usual warm greet from him, and she raised a brow at his weak response. She was sure he was so much more energetic at the gym.

Her eyes widened imperceptibly as she recalled the reason why he left so suddenly earlier. Her curiosity struck, however not wanting to be called nosy, she decided to play dumb instead, hoping that he would spill the beans himself.

"What's with that flagging attitude? Here, want some?" she held out her snack.

He glanced at the octopus balls but ignored her offer, seemingly more preoccupied by something in his mind. After looking back and forth between her outstretched hand and her confused expression, he began to take a deep breath.

"Yuri... Remember when you warned me back then, when I asked you about Kanade's odd behavior? You were referring to her trauma in her past, weren't you?"

She tensed at his question, not expecting he would throw the straight ball at her. She dropped her act, realizing that she could not play innocent in this matter. She looked away hesitantly.

"Well... Yeah, that's right," she confessed.

"You've known about Kanade's past all along?"

She nodded.

Yuzuru sighed heavily. "So that's what you couldn't tell me before..." he murmured, chuckling dryly.

Judging from his demeanor, she could figure roughly what caused him to look a little upset. It must have something to do with the beautiful woman she met earlier.

Yuri casted a serious look at him. "You found out from her mom, no?"

"You know her parents are here?!" his eyes almost went round from shock.

His reaction confirmed her suspicion, and she heaved a sigh. She never thought things would get so complicated like this. "I just happened to meet someone who I suspected as her mom." Her eyes then squinted in alarm, "hold it, 'parents'...? Her dad's here, too?"

He nodded.

Yuri almost dropped her paper plate. "What?! What does he want? Don't tell me they plan to take her so they can torture her more?! Where's Kanade- _chan_ now?" she yelled worriedly. She had this bad feeling when she saw Kanade's mom, but never expected the dad would also show up.

 _Damn it, if only I had acted faster and confronted her about it..._

Yuzuru waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, hey, take it easy. It's alright, they're on good terms now. Her parents are back together and they came to apologize to her," he moved his gaze down and continued in a lower voice, "and don't worry about Kanade. She's okay now, maybe she's already getting back to work."

Pausing for a moment, Yuri calmed down and exhaled. "Thank God... That's quite a scare, you know," she rubbed her chest in relief. She put her hand on her hip, giving him a probing look. "So? Did you somehow engage in their reunion and manage to get them trust you enough to tell you the truth?"

He scratched his hair embarrassedly. "Well... Yes and no. Let's just say I... found out."

She waited for the next sentence, but nothing came out of him. She scowled, unsatisfied by his answer. He was clearly up to something, she could tell. Hell with not being too nosy—it irked her whenever someone's obviously hiding something from her. She studied his face keenly, until she caught a little smudge on his cheek.

"Hey, Otonashi- _kun_..." she called and he looked at her finger pointing to his face, "there's something on your—"

He reacted faster. He wiped his lips with his sleeve in reflex, his face reddened furiously.

"—cheek..." she finished, utterly surprised by his sudden movement.

Silence.

"Oh," he awkwardly shifted his hand to his cheek which Yuri pointed at. "Must be from the bushes."

Yuri blinked, slowly processing his odd reaction in her brain. When the answer popped out, she blushed and impulsively screamed.

"EEEEEEHHH?!"

Her shock swiftly changed into a teasing grin, but it only humiliated the poor guy further.

"Eeh, what's this, what's this? Did you think you've got some lip gloss stain on your lips...? I wonder why though, you didn't put it on yourself, did you~~?" she nudged his chest with her elbow, making his blush darkened even more.

"Aaargh, fine! I kissed her, okay?!" he yelled, and she burst out laughing. He thought he could just die from embarrassment at the moment.

He inwardly cursed himself for being too obvious, yet in the other hand he couldn't blame his reflex. Even now, the sensation from Kanade's soft kiss was still tingling on his lips.

The color of Yuzuru's face almost matched his red hair.

"Hahaha... Your expression is truly priceless!" she teased between laughs. "But this is good news. Does it mean that you're together now?" she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

Contrasted from what she expected, he froze at her casual question. His expression turned sour, his blush from seconds ago disappeared without any trace.

"No... We're not. I don't think it's possible," he replied bitterly, and Yuri frowned.

"Why not? Just gather up your courage and tell her how you feel."

"I tried, but..." he shrugged, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Trust me, I tried."

He tried to laugh, yet all he managed to do was smile weakly. "Well... I supposed I was rejected before I could properly confess, maybe...?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She was sure their feelings were mutual, then why...

"What the hell..." she murmured under her breath.

"Never mind, it's my fault after all. She must be scared and—" he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence when Yuri suddenly shoved the half-eaten _takoyaki_ into his hands.

"Here, eat some. You really are scary when you're hungry, you know? That expression doesn't suit you one bit!" she quipped, chuckled and dashed off from the spot.

"H-hey, Yuri! Where are you going?"

"Break is over, gotta back to work! Bye!" she waved without bothering to look back.

Astounded, Yuzuru stared confusedly at her running figure. He then looked down at the food in his hand, its savory aroma was so mouth-watering—yet still failed to build up his appetite.

"Kanade..."

.

 _ **First Connecting Bridge**_

Yuri was running through the pavement, ignoring the fact that she should be heading the opposite direction where her friends had been waiting for her. She definitely couldn't just turn a blind eye to this matter.

 _If I remember correctly, she should be heading to medical post 2 after lunch, so she must be passing this way—_

And she was right. There she was, at the end of the bridge, talking on her phone. Yuri slowed down her pace as she continued to approach her.

Upon recognizing her friend's presence, the silver-haired girl looked a bit surprised. She hurriedly said something to whomever she's been talking with, then hung up and put the device back into her pocket.

"Yuri, what's with the scary face? You look like you've run a marathon..." she cocked her head, studying the other girl's sweaty face.

Yuri wiped the sweat all over her face while trying to control her ragged breath. She didn't waste time and threw a humorless look at Kanade.

"I'll go straight to the point, Kanade- _chan_. Why did you reject Otonashi- _kun_? _Again_?"

Kanade stared back at her, wide-eyed, her muscles visibly tensed. Then she averted her eyes over the bridge.

"I didn't. He didn't confess to me at all," she replied nonchalantly. It was evident that she wanted to evade the topic.

But Yuri wouldn't let her. _Like hell I will._

"That's exactly the point. I suppose you didn't even let him confess, even though you knew he was trying to. Am I right?" she retorted sharply.

Yuri knew she had hit the bull's eye as Kanade looked a bit uncomfortable, shown by the slight frown on her brows.

She figured she wouldn't get any answer this way, so she decided to shoot a supposition. "Was it because he found out about your past? You're afraid he'd treat you differently?"

At this, Kanade quickly shook her head. "No. Yuzuru isn't the person who will look down on someone based on their past," she fidgeted with her feet, "he does... understand mine completely," she defended for him.

That didn't put Yuri on ease. In fact, her words and deeds didn't even make any sense at all.

"Then why? If you came to the point of letting him kiss you, then what makes it different with him confessing?" she asked impatiently.

Kanade turned aside, hiding her face from Yuri's intense glare.

"Because... If he really did confess, I certainly wouldn't be able to reject him this time," she replied in a small voice.

That was it. Her reasoning was too contradictory that Yuri was about to lose her patience. She gritted her teeth and grabbed the younger girl's shoulders.

"So that's what you gave him after he's willing to accept you for who you are? You didn't have the heart to reject him directly, so you chose to bring his hopes up and then crushed it down?"

 _Even after I threw away my feelings, after I had to suffer by hiding my crush on him for your sake, this is what you give in return?_

"Just how far do you want to hurt him, for Heaven's sake?!" she scolded sternly, her eyes began to water.

 _Just how far do you want to trample on my heart?!_

She then paused to take a breath. The slight look of fear on Kanade's face brought alarm throughout her brain, warning her that she might have crossed the line.

Yuri exhaled tiredly. _It's no good. I can't just let out my frustration and put the blame on her._

"Sorry. You remember what I've told you about acting from what's inside your heart, right? Have you forgotten about that?" she asked in a calmer tone.

Kanade bit her bottom lip, eyes still refused to meet Yuri's penetrating stare. "Why does Yuri care about my relationship so much...?"

Yuri's chest heaving slowly. She felt that breathing became a little heavier every second. Honestly her heart started to ache for being too harsh to the girl she had considered as her own sister. However, she really needed Kanade to stop giving answers that were just running in circles.

"Gosh, really, everyone who looks at you two certainly can tell how you feel towards each other. I'm not only playing a petty matchmaker here, I _do_ care about you, Kanade- _chan_! Plus, his feelings don't even change after knowing your past, I can see he's the one who is capable of making you happy—"

"But Yuri loves him too, doesn't she...?"

Yuri froze. All the arguments in her head now vanished at once, completely forgotten just because of that single softly spoken sentence. She stared in horror at the girl who still wasn't looking at her.

"I know," Kanade continued with an almost inaudible voice, "I've known your feelings... since I accidentally saw you two in his classroom that day. That afternoon after student council meeting when I intended to return your flash drive," she confessed, trying to make her voice stay composed.

 _Classroom... Flash drive... Oh Gosh! Did she mean when I watched him sleeping?! That's why—that's why she came to my room late at night? Because at school she tried to—but saw us instead...?_

 _...That's why she looked a bit distraught that night—_

Today was clear and sunny, yet Yuri felt like she had struck by a thunder. All this time, her desperate effort to hide this only secret from Kanade was all for nothing. All this time, Kanade _was_ the one hiding it from _her_.

She even couldn't bring herself to make a white lie by denying it.

Weak hands slipping from Kanade's shoulders, now Yuri silently watched the girl's shoulders began to tremble.

"I'm sorry," Kanade whispered, her composed voice breaking. "I love Yuri... Yuri is my first friend who has pulled me out of solitude. Yuri thought me how to live as a normal girl... and make me feel treated as a family," a drop of tear rolled down her cheek. "That's why... There's no way I can be together with someone you love."

She covered her face with her hands when her tears started to fall uncontrollably.

"If... If I have to choose... I would rather lose my first love than hurt my best friend..."

Yuri was speechless. Of course she knew Kanade wasn't someone who could do anything cruel, but to think that she valued their friendship this much...

Her eyes fogged up with more tears and her heart stung, feeling some guilt within herself. She pulled her weeping friend's hunched back and enveloped her in a warm hug.

"You silly," she croaked. "You won't end up sacrificing our friendship even though you choose to be with him. You will NOT sacrifice anything."

Kanade sniffled in her shoulder. "But... But Yuri also—"

"Ssh, shut it. Yeah, I admit I liked him," she cut in, and she could feel Kanade holding a whimper. Yuri rubbed her shoulders to comfort her.

"But I already got over it. It was just a simple crush, anyway," she added. "I wouldn't even call it as being in love."

 _It was nothing compared to how you feel for each other._

Somehow those words tasted bitter in her mouth as she said it.

Kanade's small body stiffened. "Get... over? Why...?"

Yuri closed her eyes, swallowing her words. When she opened them, there was a glint of melancholy in her emerald eyes.

Yuri was silently grateful that Kanade could not see her face right now.

"That's not important. All that matters is that I don't like him that way anymore now," she stroked Kanade's back soothingly. She released the hug moments later, after making sure her breathing had gradually returned to normal.

"Listen, Kanade- _chan_ ," she held the shorter girl by her shoulders, staring straight into her moist golden eyes. "Please remember to be honest and follow what is in your heart. You deserve to be happy, and I really mean it," she said softly.

When Kanade nodded slowly, Yuri smiled. She raised her hand to wipe the remaining tears from her already swollen eyes.

 _Poor girl, you've been enduring your suffering for too long._

"You do love him, don't you...?" Yuri asked.

At her question, Kanade felt fresh tears threatened to fall and she squeezed her eyes shut. She wondered whether her tear glands had become loose, but she didn't want to shed another tear. She had enough crying for today—she didn't want to turn into a crybaby.

Yuri's question sparked the slightest desire of old feelings from the bottom of her heart. Emotions that she had been trying to suppress all this time, now emerged to the surface for her to be freed. It was like unleashing herself from a painful and suffocating straitjacket, never had she felt her chest so full of warmth and relief.

"Yes... very much..."

She would not deny it any longer.

.

.

 **To be Continued**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N: A bit short, I know. I'm sorry, but I had to end it right there. Hehe. Again, Torishirojima is the name of the island from Summer Pockets. I borrowed it since it's Shiroha and Hairi's background... So yeah. I don't own Summer Pockets! Well... See you in the final chapter! XD**


	12. Last Chapter: My Only Regret

**A/N: Hi guys, it's Fi again! Firstly I want to thank RedSS, Thnh An Phm, Enilorac Eiram, Guest (Wow, really? Thank you! Glad you liked it XD) and Luanslayer92 for your supports. XD Finally we're at the final chapter of Hatsukoi. It was quite difficult to finish this chapter, honestly. I don't even remember how many times I deleted some parts and rewrite them again. Sigh. Anyways, I really hope you could enjoy this. A bit sad since it's the last, but on with the story! XD**

* * *

 **.**

 **Hatsukoi**

 **(First Love)**

 **An Angel Beats! fanfiction by FiDhysta**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Beats!**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship, Drama**

 **Rated: T**

 **Chara: Tachibana Kanade, Nakamura Yuri, Otonashi Yuzuru**

 **Pairing: OtoKana, slight YuriNaoi**

 **Warning: Very OOC! Please bear with me**

 **Don't like it? Feel free to click 'back'**

 **Happy reading**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Summary: Tachibana Kanade is known as the emotionless, cold Angel that notoriously never stays long in a relationship. But does she really deserve all the rumors? All that she needs is a friend. A friend that will unravel her deepest feelings.**

 **.**

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 **Final Chapter: My Only Regret**

 **.**

 _ **School Grounds**_

No matter how busy and exciting the school festival was, the sun always set around the same time. It had been almost ten hours since the open house began, and the festival almost came to an end. The students were busy with their bustles here and there, closing their stands and cleaning up the props and decorations around the campus.

Flipping through her checklist papers, Yuri was making sure the preparations were going well. The closing ceremony was another attraction of the cultural festival, where a bonfire party would be held in the evening. During the party, everyone could freely choose a partner and join the folk dance around the bonfire.

"This is the last table from our stand. I'll return it to the class, Nakamura."

Yuri looked up from the papers to her fellow classmate. "Right. Thanks for your hard work!" she replied with a smile. She put a check mark on the last row of her list.

"Okay, check. With this, my job is aaaall done," she stretched her arms, then sighed tiredly. "What a day. Thank goodness I don't have to help preparing the bonfire as well. My body won't make it for sure," she looked around the field, other teams responsible for closing ceremony were working on the logs. Some people found it interesting to see other people work, so they just sat and watched. There were also couples chatting on the side of the field, seemingly waiting for the folk dance to start.

 _Everyone is enjoying the festival with their loved ones,_ Yuri concluded. She was glad people could enjoy today's festival. She felt proud of her school, of all participants, and of course—of the student council that could manage all of this smoothly.

With such achievement, Yuri couldn't help but thought about her friends. She wanted them to see what her school—her team—could provide. She wanted to tell them proudly that _she_ , the rebellious Nakamura Yuri from Senjou Junior High, was a part of the person in charge of this event.

When seeing other people laughing with each other, she unconsciously pictured herself with her friends doing the same thing in her imagination.

"It would be nice if Ooyama- _kun_ and the others came and enjoyed it all. Sekine- _san_ wanted to go to this school, didn't she? She would definitely be even more envious of me after seeing this festival," she giggled.

From her peripheral vision, she caught sight of another couple holding hands while walking around the unlit bonfire, and unknowingly her lips formed a sad smile.

"I wonder if Kanade- _chan_ has talked to Otonashi- _kun_? If so... Maybe they also do the same somewhere around the fields, huh..." for a second, the previous couple she saw appeared to change into a silver-haired girl and a redhead boy in her eyes. She chuckled dryly, shaking her head.

"Ah, no, no. Kanade-chan is in charge of preparing the closing ceremony as well. Being such a helper as he is, it's more likely that Otonashi- _kun_ stubbornly insists on helping with her work. Yeah, that must be it."

When she was done with her monologue, silence filled her surroundings. She was in the middle of a busy environment, but strangely, she felt rather out of it. Blame it on the sudden melancholy, but she just couldn't pretend to be happy at the moment.

Suddenly, Yuri felt so... alone.

She missed her friends. She wanted to at least see the bonfire with her closest, loved ones.

Her heart stung with sadness, but before it could ascend to her eyes, she quickly shook her head. "Ergh, what am I thinking?! Of course I'm not alone! Kanade- _chan_ and the others are here with me. That's more than enough!" she tried to convince herself.

 _Yes, but I can't butt in all the time anymore, now that she's with Otonashi-_ kun.

A frown formed on her face. She knew she should be happy for her friends. Perhaps it was because of all the drama happened throughout this long day, perhaps it was the fatigue, she didn't care. Just, right now... she felt so left behind by everyone.

But it was inevitable. As soon as her friends got a partner, their time for her would be shortened.

"What the hell... Why am I suddenly thinking this way, after all those wise advices...? I'm pathetic... "

Her eyes began to water, and she was about to succumb to the loneliness when suddenly her phone rang. She jolted, then wiped her eyes and took out her smartphone. Kanade's name appeared on the screen, making her raise a brow before answering.

"Hello, Kanade- _chan_? What is it?"

The preparations were almost done, so Yuri was a bit confused as to why Kanade called at this hour. Moreover, it's the first time Kanade called her today. But then she shrugged, assuming maybe the president only wanted to check on the progress of her team.

" _ **...**_ **"**

One of her eyebrow raised higher when she received no response. "Hello, Ka—"

" _ **Yuri... I was mistaken,**_ **"** the girl on the other end finally spoke. Her tone was plain as usual, but the way she spoke so slowly made Yuri somehow feel uneasy.

"Kanade- _chan_? What's wrong?"

" _ **I can't take it anymore,**_ **"** the girl said impassively, **"** _ **it's all too overwhelming for me...**_ **"**

A chill ran down her spine. Her brain started to think negatively that something bad would happen, and she desperately hoped that she was only overthinking things.

"W-what do you mean? Wait—you're NOT trying to do something, are you? Where are you now?!" she almost yelled on the phone.

" _ **...On the rooftop of our classroom building.**_ **"** Kanade answered still in the same monotonous voice. **"** _ **I think this is goodbye, Yuri...**_ **"**

Alarm spread across her body, and that was enough to bring Yuri over the edge. What else might a helpless girl do alone on a secluded rooftop at night, saying goodbye out of the blue?

Kanade's life was in grave danger.

"What the hell are you thinking?! Stay put! Don't do anything until I get there! I WON'T forgive you if you try to do anything funny, mark my words! I'm on my way!" she didn't care if she literally spat on her phone. She ended the call and hurriedly left the school grounds.

As she sprinted towards her classroom building, her mind went wild and began thinking what was driving Kanade to do such thing.

 _Is it because of that reunion with her parents? What if they eventually dragged her to join them? Or—were things not going well with Otonashi-_ kun _? Hold it, she said she was mistaken. Don't tell me he's devastated by the rejection, so much that he turns to hate her instead?_

Her heart drummed in her chest dreadfully, both because of the running and the horror of the image of losing her best friend.

 _I swear to God if that's the truth, I'll beat the shit out of him and make sure he'll regret he'd ever lived! Please, please, Kanade-_ chan _—wait for me..._

She squeezed her eyes the moment her tears threatened to fall. She climbed the stairs furiously, jumping over two steps at a time, silently cursing why such mammoth school didn't have any elevator.

.

 _ **Study Block B, 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **Floor—Rooftop**_

Yuri almost tripped the moment she reached the door leading out to the rooftop. She hastily opened it with a loud bang, not even bothering to check her sprained ankle.

"Kanade- _chan_!"

BANG! BANG!

The loud popping sounds literally made her jump. She yelped and covered her face with her arms in reflex, preparing for any attack. However what came next was something beyond her expectations.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Yuri snapped her eyes open at the choir, and was welcomed by her friends—all of her besties from junior high—grinning widely, each of them holding a confetti popper. In the front row was Kanade, safe and sound, holding a cake with some lit candles.

"Eh? Eh? Heh?" dumbfounded, she inspected her own body, now covered in colorful pieces and streamers of mylar. She then glanced around her friends, her brain still loading to process the situation.

"Today's your birthday, right, Yurippe?" Ooyama chirped, "we've predicted that you'd forget, just as usual," he chuckled.

That rang a bell in Yuri's head. She started to recall today's date and automatically slapped her forehead. "It _is_... I totally forgot..." she moaned, "so that's why I felt like something's off since this morning. Like I've forgotten something important."

"That's it! That's what you always say every year!" Hinata said laughing, followed by everyone's laughter. Beside him, Kanade even stifled a giggle.

Yuri, eyes still wide as a saucer, finally closed her dropping jaw. "Bu-but... Why are you guys here? Didn't you say you already had plans for today?"

"Well, _this_ is that plan," Ooyama grinned, opening his arms wide, "this was all Tachibana- _san_ 's plan, actually. About a month ago she called me, asking if I could call the others to meet up for the cultural festival. Then we realized the D-day is also Yurippe's birthday, so we decided to make it a little surprise. Tachibana- _san_ has been silently contacting us all this time," he gestured towards the younger girl beside him.

"But we're worried that we'd be found out, you know. You sounded too monotonous as someone who's about to commit suicide, Kanade- _chan_ ," Hinata commented, rolling his eyes at the girl.

"I've told you I'm not good with acting..." Kanade replied flatly.

"Now, now. There's nobody else could lure Yurippe here, right? Moreover, didn't it work pretty well? Look," Ooyama nodded towards Yuri who was still in her thunderstruck state.

She blinked once. "So... it's all just a joke?"

"Of course! Isn't it obvious?" Hinata giggled amusedly.

Tears began to well up in her eyes once more. "So Kanade- _chan_ isn't really trying to jump from the roof? So you're feeling just fine?"

Kanade nodded. "Never better," she smiled.

At last the dam broke and Yuri cried loudly. She lunged forward and hugged Kanade tightly, startling the girl. She stroked Yuri's back with one of her hands, the other holding up the cake into Hinata's care so it wouldn't be crushed.

"Why you... you stupid, inhumane people! Didn't you know you almost gave me a heart attack back there?! Huaaaa!" she wailed, squeezing the poor girl's body with her monstrous strength.

"Hehe, sorry, Yurippe. We didn't know you'd fall for that. After all, this kid's acting almost made me cringe, and we thought you were a lil' sharper, you know," Sekine snickered.

"How shallow-minded," Shiina deadpanned, while Kanade gave a small pout at their comments.

"Heh, you're just a bunch of idiots. It wasn't that surprising for me, since I knew it would work. Because when it comes to Tachibana- _san_ , Nakamura- _san_ certainly won't be able to think clearly, that's all," came Naoi's cocky voice that irked Yuri in an instant.

Releasing Kanade from her arms, she pointed an accusing finger at the vice-president whose presence she had just noticed. "Shut up, Naoi- _kun_! Why are you here in the first place?"

"What did I tell you about pointing at people?" Naoi straightened his cap nonchalantly. "I heard Tachibana- _san_ was preparing a surprise party for _someone_. I didn't think it would hurt if I join as well."

"Now, now, let's get the party started, shall we? Before the cake gets melted candle as a free extra topping," Iwasawa walked to the front, an acoustic guitar in her arms.

" _Bounce, baby, bounce~!_ " TK twirled in her tow.

As Iwasawa started playing the guitar, everyone clapped along, happily singing 'Happy Birthday' for the birthday girl. Yuri felt her heart soar with emotion. She giggled shyly, wiping the tears of joy with her thumb as she thanked her friends.

Candles were blown out, wishes were made, her once empty heart rejoiced together with her dear friends. After their applause subsided, a pink-haired petite girl approached her.

"Happy birthday, _senpai_! Here's your present, from Hinacchi- _senpai_ and me," she chirped, and Yuri raised her brows. She accepted the present then observed the new girl—long pink hair with two little pigtails, stylish clothes with a snazzy pair of boots, childish grin, and big, doll-like innocent eyes. Her first impression on the girl was 'cute'.

"Thanks. You are..." she trailed off, then Hinata came to the girl's side and introduced her.

"Ah, this is my girlfriend, Yui. She insisted to come along, so I said at least she had to bring a present," he patted her shoulder and the girl glared at him.

"'At least'? That's only your excuse to make me pick one since you're suck at it!" she spat, before turning to Yuri with the sweetest smile. "Anyways, nice to meet you, _senpai_. I'm Yui, but you can also call me Yui- _nyan_!" she curled her fists on either side of her head, winking as she gave the impression of a cat.

Her cute act didn't stay long though. Hinata immediately wrapped his arms around her neck tightly, choking her in a sleeper hold. "That's not the way to introduce yourself to your _senpai_! Don't embarrass me after I kindly brought you along and pretended that I didn't know anything this entire day!"

She screamed begging for mercy, but when he released her, she retaliated by locking him in a camel clutch instead. "'Kindly'? I didn't even beg to you! I wanted to see Iwasawa- _san_ 's live at first when she told me she had a surprise party for her friend and that's why I decided to come along! YOU should be the one thanking me for getting the present, no? Where's your thank you?"

"Aaarghithurtsithurtsithurts—why you little—!"

Yuri shuddered, suddenly feeling that she had to reconsider her opinion about the 'cute' girl. The others sweatdropped at the weird couple, whispers began to spread around the gang.

"So Hinata- _kun_ isn't only a lolicon, he's also a sadist."

"He enjoys being tortured too, doesn't it make him a masochist as well?"

"An S-M couple, I see. Their _night activities_ must be pretty rough."

"What!? Isn't she, like, 14...?"

" _Crazy baby kill me softly._ "

"How shallow-minded."

Iwasawa clapped her hands to gain their attention. "Don't mind them, that's their way of being lovey-dovey. Yui is a big fan of pro-wrestling, after all. Why don't we cut the cake now?"

Everyone shivered at the wrestling couple, but decided to just ignore them and started to gather around the table nonetheless. Yuri cut the cake into smaller pieces, and Kanade volunteered to give them to the group.

" _I kiss you!_ " TK sang as he came forward to receive the cake from Kanade.

She shuddered, swiftly hiding behind Yuri's back while staring at him in horror. Yuri laughed at her reaction.

"Don't mind him, that's his way of saying 'thank you'. He's not a bad guy, though he's just a little... _eccentric_ ," she explained.

The group laughed and continued to enjoy the cake. Once the cake was all gone, they took turns to give presents to Yuri. She couldn't be happier now, that evening she had been smiling non-stop to the point her cheeks ached.

Soon there was only one person left who had yet to give their present.

"Delicious cake, eh, Naoi- _kun_? Aren't you going to give me something too?" Yuri teased, smirking at Naoi who was putting down his empty paper plate. He replied with a smirk on his own.

"My, my, I didn't know you'd be that enthusiastic, looking forward to _my_ present of all people."

Yuri blushed. "W-what? Don't flatter yourself! I said that because _I_ knew you wouldn't prepare something as nice as that!" she yelled at him.

To her surprise, Naoi slid his hand inside his blazer and took something out from his inner pocket.

"Too bad... So this isn't needed, huh?" he twiddled with the small rectangular package, his voice held a mocking tone.

Yuri's arrogant act dropped and turned into a dumbstruck expression by the unexpected outcome. "Eh...? You... really prepared one?"

He rolled his eyes haughtily. "Hmph. Not that I wanted to, but since Pres said that I'd be better not coming empty-handed, then—"

"Naoi- _kun_ kept asking for my advice, so I helped him choose the gift," Kanade cut in, which caught Naoi off guard and made him lose his cool.

"P-Pres! Didn't we agree to keep that a secret?!" he protested in panic, his cheeks reddened, forgetting his usual la-di-da accent.

"Eh? Did we...?" Kanade asked back innocently.

Naoi grumbled something incoherent under his breath, hiding his face with his cap while Yuri watched the scene, flabbergasted. Finally, he held out the package to her half-heartedly, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Here," he said curtly. Yuri stared at the present for a moment before taking it from his hand.

"What's inside?" she asked suspiciously, shaking the package.

"A sugar-coated cockroach. Don't scream if it jumps onto your face as soon you open it," he answered nonchalantly.

Now Yuri was rather worried. She gulped then began to tear the wrapping cautiously. With both eyes closed, she opened the lid slowly, preparing for something to come out—but nothing happened.

 _Hold it. If he asked Kanade-_ chan _for some advice, there's no way she'd suggest to put something gross..._ She braved herself to open her eyes and looked what's inside.

A new ribbon headband.

She stared in disbelief at the red ribbon. Never once in her craziest mind did she imagine Naoi would really give her a proper present—a cute accessory, even. Meanwhile, Naoi blushed at her amazed face.

"If you don't like it, I'll just give it to one of my fans out there," he said sharply. He tried to snatch the present from her hands, but she was faster to hold it closer to her chest.

"...e it..." she whispered under her breath. He raised a brow at her.

"Huh?"

"I like it..." Yuri mumbled a little louder. "Thanks..." she uttered unwillingly through pouting lips, averting her pink-tinted face.

Naoi's blush deepened until it reached his ears. He was about to open his mouth to make a retort when a powerful shove suddenly tackled him to the floor, followed by an angry yell.

"Not so fast, Yurippe! Don't fall for this twerp so easily! What about me?! Isn't my present good enough for you?!" Noda interrupted, whining to Yuri while pushing Naoi's head down.

"Argh! What are you doing, you jerk? I'm the vice-president, have some manner!" Naoi slapped away Noda's hand and put his cap back on.

"Like I care, I'm not a student here! You have to kill me first before flirting with Yurippe, you scum!"

"What?! How can you call that flirting, you son of—"

Yuri blinked, gaping at the two fighting guys as if they were some kind of aliens. She startled and closed her hanging jaw only when Hinata poked her shoulder.

"Well, well, look at this. Didn't you become quite popular here, Yurippe?" he teased, causing the said girl's face to glow red.

"W-what do you mean by popular?"

Hinata snorted. "Time to make a choice, don't you think? It'll turn into a bloodbath if you keep ignoring their _honest_ , desperate feelings," he finished with a wink.

Yuri got flustered, her blush darkened even more. She violently grabbed Hinata's shirt, slapping both of his cheeks back and forth. "D-d-don't say such irrational things, moron!"

Meanwhile, Kanade giggled watching Yuri's antics. "Yuri's quite funny, isn't she?"

"Yeah, that's our Yurippe for you. That means she's happy and healthy alright," Ooyama replied, chuckling.

Kanade nodded at him then back to watch her friend's outrageous tantrum. A soft smile curled on her lips. "Good for you, Yuri..."

.

.

A night at school was usually scary, but not today when the school was still quite lively even hours after sunset. The closing ceremony had already started, with the bonfire as the main attraction in the school grounds.

The student council president was leaning on the rooftop railing, silently watching the crowd from above. She enjoyed as summer breeze blew across her face, her long hair swayed gently.

"Kanade- _chan_ ~" a pat on her shoulder broke her trance, and she turned to see Yuri, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you so much for today. I didn't expect you'd go as far as contacting my friends and planning this reunion for me," she said, running her fingers through her shoulder-length hair when a rather strong wind blew. "I've always wanted to introduce you to my friends, you know. But seems like you've beaten me to it."

Kanade shook her head. "It's nothing. What Yuri has done for me is much more than that," she replied with a small smile.

"There's something in my mind though..." Yuri mumbled, and Kanade tipped her head to the side in question. Yuri put her hand to Kanade's ear as she whispered.

"I wonder why Otonashi- _kun_ didn't take part in the party?"

The shorter girl blushed at the mention of his name, and Yuri tried her best to stifle her laugh.

"He's already busy with the band... I shouldn't bother him more," she answered at last, although poorly. Yuri smirked.

"C'mon, you should've thought of a better excuse. His live concert was only for this afternoon, even Hinata- _kun_ is here. Did you forget they're in the same band?" she persisted.

Kanade stayed silent, only resuming to gaze down at the grounds. Yuri heaved a sigh, her teasing expression turned into concern.

"What makes you still avoiding him? We're cool, right? You're not holding back for me, are you?" she asked, worry in her voice.

Kanade shook her head, and Yuri inwardly sighed in relief.

"No, it's just... me. I don't know how I should confront him after everything I've done to him... I'm just not sure what to do," she confessed.

"You're worried that after you let him down, now he won't be the same anymore?" Yuri guessed, and Kanade once again gave no response.

She observed the silent girl for some moments, before stretching her arms over her head. "Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't it?" she smiled, throwing an optimistic glance at the troubled girl. When she gained Kanade's attention, she then nodded towards the fields below. "Go talk to him."

Contrasted with her doubtless look, Kanade looked away hesitantly. "But—he probably—"

"Kanade- _chan_ ," she interrupted firmly, "have some confidence." Kanade opened her mouth to refute, but Yuri held up her hand to stop her. "You've succeeded in making peace with your past, haven't you? Just do it one more time and be honest with him. The quickest way to acquire self-confidence is to do exactly what you're afraid to do, after all."

Kanade gripped the railing tighter, trying to take Yuri's words into consideration. She turned to look at her friend, asking for certainty. Yuri took the message and granted her a sisterly smile.

"You owe him your honesty, so just let him know what you really want to tell him. And like I said before... follow what's inside your heart. Got it?"

Yuri's emerald eyes were full of confidence that was transmitted to Kanade. She felt a surge of confidence began to spark within herself. Closing her eyes for a moment, now her heart felt lighter that the doubts had started to decrease.

She nodded.

Yuri grinned approvingly. "See you," she pushed Kanade's back, encouraging the girl to waste no time. Kanade paused and turned her head halfway to give her one last grateful smile before making a beeline towards the door.

"Huh? Where is Tachibana- _san_ going?"

Yuri paid no heed to Ooyama's curious question. As she watched Kanade's retreating figure, her broad grin softened into a smile, a slight melancholy in her gaze. She then closed her eyes, feeling content.

 _Goodbye, my first love..._

.

 _ **School Grounds**_

This was the most eagerly awaited part of the closing ceremony, the folk dance. Yuzuru watched as students walked in pairs, dancing around the bonfire. Other students were also seen flocking into the grounds to join the dance.

However, he wasn't one of them. He had changed back into his uniform, retracting into a more secluded part at the corner of the field. He leaned against a pillar of the building behind him and enjoyed the scene by himself. He did try to watch the ceremony with other audience in the field beforehand, but not for a long time as he ended up becoming the soft target for his admirers. He thought it was safer if he drew himself back from the crowd.

It wasn't like he was being arrogant towards the girls—he just really needed some time alone for the time being. Some girls even dared to ask him to dance together, but he politely turned them down, saying that he couldn't dance.

He knew that wasn't the real reason though. Even if he did can dance, he still wouldn't dance with some random girls. Not that he really interested in joining the folk dance himself, but if he had to, there was only one girl he wanted to dance with.

Sighing, he put his hands into his pockets as he slouched against the wall. After everything that happened throughout the day, he felt that his chance to get closer to the girl had turned to slim. Not to mention he hadn't met her ever since she left him this afternoon, after that seemingly potential rejection.

His mind was in a muddle. This whole evening he had been trying to just accept the situation and appreciate her decision, yet he was unable to bring himself to get over it just like that. Being rejected for the first time was painful enough, let alone when it came to the second time... He didn't think he would be able to regain his self-confidence easily.

He was absently kicking the pebbles around his feet when he heard short footsteps closing in. Curious, he looked sideways and surprised to see the very girl in his mind right there. Upon him noticing her presence, she stopped at a respectful distance and lifted her gaze to meet his.

"Yuzuru..." she called, and his heart fluttered just by that simple address. "Your friends mentioned that you're not interested in folk dance, so I figured you'd be here."

He straightened his body from the pillar and turned to face her. "You were looking for me?"

Kanade nodded. "I left you hanging back there... I think I owe you an explanation," she replied. But instead of resuming, Kanade broke the eye contact and averted her eyes to the ground, her expression unreadable. In Yuzuru's eyes, she looked uncomfortable and he figured that it was probably because of the sudden kiss he stole from her earlier. He suddenly felt a heavy feeling of guilt in his gut.

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry."

They said in unison then simultaneously looked at each other, exchanging shocked countenances—at least for Yuzuru, since Kanade didn't really showing it.

He realized they were saying the same thing and his brain began to grasp the meaning behind Kanade's apology. He felt his energy drained from his body as he concluded that the rejection was finalized.

"Haha... I understand. I'm the one who should apologize for kissing you... even though you didn't want to," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry for being rather... coercive." His knees weakened, causing his body to quiver that he almost leaned on the pillar again.

Kanade looked at him confusedly. Studying his odd behavior, she then caught on what he meant and her eyes widened slightly. "It's not that!" she quickly corrected.

He threw a surprised look at her, not used to her speaking in an almost frustrated tone. But the silver-haired girl already lowered her head with bangs obscuring her eyes from him, her hands hung by her side.

"You're wrong..." she uttered, gripping the hem of her skirt. "I'm sorry... because I wasn't being honest with you all this time. I always shrugged away my own feelings and ended up hurting you," she braved herself and looked into his eyes. "But I want you to know, that honestly... I'm really happy with you by my side."

His eyes dilated in amazement. That simple confession erased all the depression from his heart, and he mentally wondered if he was dreaming right now.

While he was debating in his mind whether he had to pinch his own cheek, Kanade was trying to overcome the slight reluctance that started to reappear. She knew she wasn't even finished. She still had so much to tell him.

Kanade took a deep breath, recalling Yuri's words again to muster up her courage.

"I know that I'm tainted, I'm even aware that maybe I'm being too selfish to say this but—" her voice trembled, her vision began to blur with unshed tears as she said the next words, "—if there's someone who could cure my wound, I wouldn't want it to be anyone else but you."

There, she said it. She looked down at her feet, too anxious to keep staring at his eyes. Her heart raced out of fear from waiting for his response.

The music from the folk dance was still filling the school grounds, but for Yuzuru, Kanade's words were the only thing that echoed in his ears. He had to replay it in his brain repeatedly to convince himself that he heard them right. When he was certain, he was too overwhelmed with joy that he didn't wait to pull the girl into his arms, catching her off guard.

"That's fine. In fact, please be more selfish from now on... I won't mind at all. I love you so much, Kanade," he said heartily, running his fingers through her long tresses. He closed his eyes and buried his smiling face in her sweet-scented hair, deeply feeling so much contentment after finally being able to convey his feelings.

Relief spread through her veins. Now that all of the doubts were already gone, her heart soared with warmth at his confession. "Thank you..." she whispered, slowly closing her eyes. "You don't know how much I've wanted to say that."

He pulled away slightly so he could look at her, but she only looked down at her hands on his chest. "What do you mean?"

"I have a regret in life," she replied, "three years ago, I fell in love with a boy," she started. Yuzuru stiffened, feeling uncomfortable straightaway. He wasn't ready to listen to her story about another guy.

Feeling Yuzuru's muscles tensed, Kanade stroked his chest softly. "It was my first time to feel that way. Subsequently, it turned out he also had the same feelings. I was the happiest girl in the world when he told me he loved me," she continued.

"But I did a mistake. Because of my broken home background, I had a distrust regarding relationships. So I ended up rejecting him, despite having mutual feelings," she paused to let out a sigh. "The pain started to strike after I saw his dejected face. The guilt was so heavy in my heart that left me not being able to reject anyone after that."

She felt his heartbeat quickened, apparently coming to a realization about this boy's identity. "I deeply wished that I could tell him what I couldn't say that time. So, I'll say it now..." she raised her face, staring straight into his burgundy eyes.

"Thank you for loving me, Yuzuru. And I love you, too," she smiled gracefully, "be it the _senpai_ whose name I didn't know, or the Yuzuru in front of me right now... No matter how many times our destiny separates us, I will end up falling in love with you again."

Yuzuru gazed down into those honest golden orbs and found himself lost in them. He felt the bliss brimming within him, causing his chest to feel so light that he thought he could fly to cloud nine. He gave her his most sincere smile as he whispered lovingly, "thank you, Kanade."

He knew just a single thank you wouldn't be enough to express how grateful he was. So he caressed her hair, down to her cheek in order not to shock her. He lightly brushed her lips with his thumb, before slowly replacing it with his own lips.

Unlike the first time, this time Kanade was more mentally prepared, although she was still nervous as hell to the point her palms began sweating. However, fright was far from her mind right now, and she could truly pour her feelings as she kissed him back. She placed her sweaty palms on his broad chest and gripped onto the fabric of his shirt, feeling his rapid heartbeat that resonated with her own.

They pulled away after some moments that felt like eternity. There was a bright bonfire in the field, there was faint music in the background, but they only needed each other to make this festival perfect for them. He pulled her head to his chest, both smiling in content as he ran his fingers along her silky long hair.

.

.

"Aaah! Isn't that the vocalist who performed with you at the gym earlier, Hinacchi- _senpai_? I just realized!"

"Ssssh, Yui! You're too loud!" Hinata put his hands tightly around his girlfriend's mouth and nose, muffling—or rather, smothering her. The girl whined and struggled to break away from his grip.

"M-mmm-FUAH! Are you trying to kill me?!" she shoved his face roughly, and Hinata countered with pushing her head as well. Soon they were wrestling by trying to lock on each other's head.

"All I'm trying to do is to keep you silent! Shut your mouth!"

"Both of you, shut up or we'll be caught!" Yuri scolded in a hushed tone, pulling them to hide better behind the bush. "Geez, you guys should get a room, really."

"Umm... If someone should get a room, aren't those two more suitable than anyone here?" red-faced Ooyama embarrassedly pointed at the ginger-head boy and the silver-haired girl who were holding each other a few feet away from their hiding place.

"That's right, I think they're a bit too forward. My face is getting hot just by looking at them."

"Really? Ah, you're just faint-hearted. I think they're pretty cute!"

" _Whisper of the tree, night of lovin' spree! Woo-hoo!_ "

"I must remind Tachibana- _san_ that it's against school regulations, even if her partner is Otonashi- _san_! It's my job as vice-president!"

"I can't stand it anymore. She's still my first love after all, this is too much..." Ooyama turned away dramatically and cried into his hands.

Yuri sweatdropped, watching her noisy friends complaining with blushing faces.

"Erm... Wasn't this your idea to sneak in here to begin with? You excitedly said that you wanted to see Kanade- _chan_ 's new boyfriend. Why all those complaints now?" she asked to the weeping Ooyama.

"I thought I'd see them dance together, at least. I didn't expect that I was going to take critical mental damage! Boo-hoo~~"

"Yeah, yeah... Whatever," Yuri rolled her eyes lazily.

Ignoring her friends' random ravings, she turned her attention back towards the new couple, smiling softly as she watched the boy whispering something to the girl's ear, before placing his lips on hers once again.

 _Good for you, Otonashi-_ kun _, Kanade-_ chan _... This time, make sure you'll be happy, okay...? I won't forgive you if you don't!_

Wash of emotions seeped into her heart, making her eyes grow moist. She looked up before her tears could fall, gazing towards the stars in the clear summer night sky. The sea of stars couldn't look more beautiful that day.

She smiled with a peace of mind.

Yuri was too absorbed by the beautiful scenery, oblivious that a single person found neither the new couple nor the night sky quite interesting to stare at. That pair of unblinking, transfixed amber orbs was locked on her instead.

Certainly, she didn't notice that her genuine smile had become another breath-taking scene for a certain dark-green-haired vice president, who was unable to stop thinking that she was the most alluring thing he'd ever seen.

.

 _One day, someone will look at you the same way you look at the stars—Unknown_

.

.

 **The End**

.

.

.

 **OMAKE**

.

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

"Kanade... Do you hear something from the bush right there?"

The petite girl nodded in his arms. "Hm. They're a little too noisy to be called hiding," she replied nonchalantly.

Yuzuru squinted his eyes at the peculiar bush. "It sounds like Hinata's voice, but I don't recognize the others... Wait. Isn't that Naoi's voice as well? Just what the hell are they thinking they're doing right there?"

"They are Yuri and Hinata- _kun_ 's friends from middle school. They came especially for Yuri today."

He broke away from the embrace, looking down at her face. "You know them?" he asked, surprised.

Kanade nodded again. "I was the one inviting them through Ooyama- _kun_. I asked him to contact the others," she explained flatly. "Do you want me to introduce you now?"

Yuzuru thought about it for a moment, then smirked lightly. "I'd love to. But before that..." he leaned in and said huskily in her right ear, "...since they have intruded our privacy, why don't we _reward_ them with a little more show that they _so_ look forward to...?"

She cocked her head in question, but he just stared down at her wordlessly. His smirk turned into a soft smile as he stroked her cheek, inching forward slowly. She realized his intentions and her cheeks blushed slightly, her eyes closing in return.

When his lips brushed hers in another tender kiss, her heart thumped so hard that it almost made her chest ache. However, she didn't mind having this kind of ache at all. Because as she splayed her fingers across Yuzuru's chest, she knew it.

She knew that their hearts beat in the same rhythm.

.

.

— **END—**

 **.**

 **A/N: Whew, finally it's done! Big, BIG thanks to all of you who have been following this fic till the end, despite my imperfect English. I apologize for that, since English is not my mother tongue. For all of your reviews, favourites, follows, and silent readers, I couldn't thank you enough. XD Tell me what you think! (If I can think of a new idea, maybe, just MAYBE, I'll make a sequel to this. Probably an M-rated one? I don't know. Haha. XD)** _ **Jaa ne!**_ **XD**


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